Hogwarts 12
by 2ptTakrill
Summary: Post wedding, Ranma and Akane are invited to Hogwarts. This is not a Harry Potter story.
1. Chapter 1 Nerima

**Hogwarts 1/2**

* _Fifteen years ago…_

A large mansion in the Tudor style surrounded by a sprawling estate, the Pendleton manor was located only a few miles outside of London. Yet the trees and immaculately terraced grounds gave the house a feeling of isolation in spite of the hustle and bustle of civilization that lay just beyond the gates.

The house itself was an odd mix of the past and present, with new additions and changing technology each adding their own distinctive touches over the years . The estate had stood for more than a century and the narrow drive and old fashioned carriage house stood as reminders of a bygone era, the days of the estates original founding.

The later addition of a four car garage and power lines showed that the current occupants, though living in the trappings of the past, did not ignore the advantages of the present. The lights in the windows at this hour were the steady white of electric lamps, not the yellow flicker of gas lights.

The drive of colorful gravel stones was lined with light posts and the surrounding grounds were well lit by strategically placed flood lights. Still a darkness was encroaching on the house, causing several of the lights to fail as it approached unseen and uninvited.

Inside the manor was a tribute to the dignity and grander of the past, enhanced with touches of modern technology and convenience. The weight of the past combined with the energy of the new to create a surprisingly homey and comfortable atmosphere that was most evident in the master study. The room was quite large, maybe twenty by thirty feet and where the walls were not lined with built in bookshelves, they were home to paintings large and small, new and old. Images of past members of the Pendleton family hung along side picturesque scenes, several of which appeared to be Japanese in origin.

To one side of the great fireplace stood a full suit of polished armor, on the other hung an ancient sword. On the wall above the fireplace hung the Pendleton family coat of arms. On the mantel rested two silver candle holders framing … an empty space. The lack of something there, some decoration or portrait left a clear void in the otherwise well decorated room.

Also conspicuously absent from the room were any modern photographs or paintings of children. The closest was the photograph of a teenage Japanese girl with short black hair and wearing a traditional kimono.

Seated behind a great mahogany desk was Squire William Pendleton, current lord of the manor. Well into the later half of middle age, the retired Colonel had sandy blonde hair that was thinning and well peppered with gray. No paunch marred his trim and fit physique and his gray eyes and large hands were sure and steady. Right now both were focused on the ledgers and account records spread on the desk before him.

Across the desk from him, reclining on a dark leather couch was his wife Amelia. The lack of gray in her long brown hair and the still smooth skin of her face gave the appearance that she was at least ten years younger than her husband. She was wearing brown cotton slacks, thick wool socks and a yellow silk blouse embroidered with cherry blossoms. While he was nose deep in the mundane world of accounting, she was avidly reading a thick tome titled 'Xavier Bryman's Treatise on Mythical Creatures, Fact or Muggle Fiction'.

The only other occupants of the house were spread out on the rug between them, a large basset hound and a small scotch terrier. The only sounds the quiet crackle of the fire, the scratching of William's pen and the rustle of paper when ever Amelia turned a page.

The comfortable silence was shattered when perking up their ears, both dogs suddenly charged from the room yapping and barking a challenge to whomever or whatever had intruded upon their territory.

Listening to the dogs as they made their way down the long hall towards the front entrance, the Pendletons exchanged concerned glances when the canine cries suddenly and inexplicably fell silent.

Not wasting another moment William opened one of his desk drawers, producing a cherry wood case. Opening it he withdrew a forty five automatic which he quickly fed a full clip, chambering the first round.

While he was seeing to his mundane weapon his wife rushed to one of the bookshelves where she took up a slender wand made of Ash wood.

Standing on opposite sides of the room the two watched the entrance to the study with unflinching gazes. Even so they almost missed the long dark form that slithered into the entryway, a monstrously large snake. It came no further into the room, just watching them with its cold black eyes.

Amelia's eyes gapped wide, her face paling at the sight of the serpentine invader. Sensing a sigh of magic in the room behind her, she felt the cold hand of fear squeeze her heart as she whipped around to find a dark robed figure standing behind her, wand raised and pointed in her direction. The last thing she heard was a sibilant voice, speaking in hardly more than a whisper, speaking words that stole the warmth from her breast.

"Avada Kedavara".

Keeping a steady watch on the entryway and the terrifying snake that occupied it, William caught his wife's desperate turn out of the corner of his eye. He turned his head towards her just in time to watch her fall silently to the floor, like a puppet with its strings cut.

Grief and rage pouring through his veins like ice water, reflexes conditioned by years of military service raised the pistol towards his wife's murderer and pulled the trigger no less then three times in rapid succession.

He watched in disbelief as the image of the dark robed figure distorted, like something seen through heat waves rising off of hot metal. The bullets exploded into the bindings of several books on the shelves behind his target, each several inches out of line with the barrel of the gun.

Wand pointing at William in a manner that was far too threatening for a simple stick of wood, the black cloaked fiend spoke one word in a voice filled with anger and contempt.

"Imperious!"

It was like an icy shadow fell over William, freezing his muscles and blunting his will.

With a cruel smile spread across his arrogant but darkly handsome face the man in the black cloak directed Lord Pendleton to place the barrel of his gun against his own temple. With a flash of light and crack of thunder, William Pendleton was reunited with his beloved wife.

Chuckling the cloaked murderer turned his back on the remains of his victims, his eyes coming to rest on the empty space on the mantel.

The cold silence of the manor was pierced by it's scream of thwarted rage.

In the morning Mrs. Edgewood, the Pendleton's house keeper arrived at her employer's home to find the front door gaping wide open. Just beyond the grim portal lay the still remains of a large basset hound, there was no sign of the small terrier.

Stepping past the dog, afraid to disturb the cold shroud of silence that enveloped the once warm home, she made her quiet way through the tomb like halls until she found the fallen lord and lady of the manor.

The terrier was never found, the basset hound had been felled by a snake's poisonous bite.

The coroner was never able to identify what caused the death of Lady Amelia Pendleton, while her husband's death appeared to be self inflicted.

The interior of the house had been torn apart in a violent search, yet none of the obvious valuables had been taken.

The case remains unsolved to this day.

Cornelius Fudge sat in the Minister of Magic's office in the big comfy chair by the fireplace and for the first time since his appointment as minister he was actually comfortable in that room, in that chair, for in truth it was no longer his office.

He had never realized how much the responsibilities and expectations that went with the title had eaten away at him. For the first time since the whole Potter situation began with the escape of Sirius Black, he was able to view the situation objectively. With the intelligence and compassion that had originally led to his rise to power, instead of the insecurities that had plagued him once he reached the top.

Looking back it was easy to see where he went wrong, his mistakes so glaring that it burned his mind's eye to look at them. Especially Delores Umbrage, what ever induced him to trust that _woman._

While Cornelius was lost in contemplation of the past, the man who's office this now was sat behind the Minister's desk. His presence somehow transformed the conglomeration of mahogany and brass into a grim fortress. The steely glint in the eyes beneath his bushy eyebrows made it clear he would defend that stronghold against all the forces of Hell, much less one dark wizard and his knitting circle.

That was after all the reason why the hard faced gentleman, Rufus Scrimgeour, was sitting in that chair in this office.

After the dramatic exposure of Cornelius Fudge's failure to protect them from the return of Valdemort and his rabid followers, the frightened masses of the wizarding world demanded someone they knew would protect them.

The scarred former Auror may lack the charm and tact that once elevated Fudge, but he wouldn't hesitate to draw blood and that is what the sheep wanted. A vicious guard dog who would stop at nothing, pushing forward with relentless aggression until the big bad wolf lay broken and bloody at his feet.

Before the desk was the standing, both literally and figuratively, head of the Aurors, Kingsley Shackle Bolt. Shackle Bolt had the carriage and bearing of a warrior, but his ready smile and laughing eyes, along with the warm browns and yellows of his robes stood in stark contrast to the cold dark robes and gray streaked mane of Scrimgeour.

In Cornelius' opinion the tall and imposing black man would have been the better man for the crisis, but after Valdemort's spectacular return from the obscurity of the grave and in light of Fudge's failures no one was asking for his opinion, on anything.

Cornelius had only been paying the smallest amount of attention to the two Aurors as they discussed the horrible actions taken by the Death Eaters and how best to respond, but when he heard the thump of the paper hitting the floor he felt compelled to listen closer.

"Fear," intoned Scrimgeour in his deep gravely voice, "… is our enemies most potent weapon."

His features twisted with disgust, he had pushed the newspaper across his desk and onto the floor.

Looking down upon the scattered contents of the Daily Prophet Cornelius could see the headline printed in large bold letters, 'Muggles Watch As Death Eaters Kill Three In Cornwall'.

"As long as the people and the press are fixated on everything he does, real or imagined, we will be too busy herding sheep to hunt this beast and his followers down. We need a distraction, something else for them to write about."

Cornelius felt the need to throw his own two cents into the pot, whether they wanted it or not.

"I have to agree. When it comes to the public the perception of action is just as important as the actions themselves."

Shackle Bolt stared at Fudge, surprised to hear him speaking out in support of the man who replaced him. It was way out of character for the man he had worked under for the last two years.

Scrimgeour gave Fudge a grudging nod in recognition of his input before continuing were he left off.

"What we need is something to capture the attention of the press. Something exotic, something besides hounding Harry Potter or speculating about Valdemort."

"That is all well and good, but what could possibly be more exciting then murder in the street?" Shackle Bolt asked.

The minister settled back in his chair, his voice taking on the gentle tones of reminiscence.

"When I was a young man working as an Auror, long before Valdemort, I had occasion to be working in British held Hong Kong. While I was there I witnessed a battle between wizards of the Far East. It was unlike anything I had ever seen before. People in the orient approach magic in a way that is very different from our own. Their dominant traditions have in fact tied their use of magic to combat, it is their primary focus."

"Are you suggesting that we recruit them for Aurors?" Shackle Bolt asked with incredulity.

"Heavens no! The magi of the orient are extremely flamboyant. If we brought them in as Aurors we would be spending what little time the Death Eaters left us trying to hide their actions from the muggles. The last thing we need is a bunch of wild barbarians fighting it out in the streets. No, what I am proposing is that we take advantage of their exotic and flamboyant ways to distract the press and thus the populous. We will give them something else to look at, while bolstering their confidence that we are handling the situation with the Death Eaters by creating a supplementary class for the Defense Against the Dark Arts. What I want you to do Mr. Shackle Bolt, is to recruit a master of the eastern traditions to teach that class. Find me someone who will relate well with the students, but won't get in the way of their real classes or disrupt the authority structure. Find me someone to teach that class Mr. Shackle Bolt, someone who will garner a lot of attention. Do that for me so that we can get the frightened masses off of our backs, freeing us to deal with Valdemort once and for all."

Later that evening the Order of the Phoenix was gathered in the Black ancestral home. Everyone was there from Dumbledore down to Harry, Ron and Hermione. Shackle Bolt arrived late.

"My apologize for my tardiness. The acting minister gave me a last minute task and it took longer than I wished."

"Quite all right Mr. Shackle Bolt, the duties of an Auror are just has important as those of the order."

Dumbledore considered arguments a waste of valuable time and so he took the small steps necessary to ensure one didn't arise.

Arthur Weasley on the other hand was more than curious. He to worked for the ministry, in the department of muggle artifacts, and with the talk about changes, reorganizing and new departments going around he wondered what the last minute task could be. Given the events of the last few months it had to be something important. "What was this task Mr. Shackle Bolt, if your allowed to tell."

The Auror looked somewhat put out, but his unfocused gaze said it wasn't with Arthur's question.

"It was a waste of time and resources and now I have one of my more promising young Aurors lost on a fool's errand. All so Mr. Scrimgeour can read about something besides Valdemort in the papers."

Now everyone was interested.

Mei Lin Braithwaite was five feet four inches tall and weighed just under one hundred and ten pounds. Her features bore witness to her Chinese ancestry, while her slim yet generous figure, like her name told of her English Father. Her father, Horatio Braithwaite, had served at the colonial governors office in then British Hong Kong as a specialist on international commerce. Her mother, Chen Chi, was Chinese and a witch working for the Ministry of Magic in the same city. The two had met there and fallen in love, just as her father came to share Chen Chi's love of oriental history and culture.

As a direct consequence Mei Lin had spent no small part of her childhood in the orient, especially Hong Kong.

When she was eleven she returned to England and attended Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, where she had excelled at magical history and the defense against the dark arts.

Now she was twenty six years of age and in her second year working as an Auror. She was dedicated, loyal and showed an exuberance for her work that brought a smile to the faces of her superiors. Up until now she had worked almost exclusively in the offices of the ministry in London. This was her first field assignment and though she wasn't pursuing Death Eaters, she was still very excited for the opportunity to leave the office and contribute something to the struggle in the real world.

Having spent her childhood in the East and with parents who were both history buffs, Mei Lin was well versed in Oriental history, both muggle and magical. She has studied the history of the Shaolin monks, the development of Bushido and Zen philosophy, and through them gained a rudimentary knowledge of the traditions of the east and their techniques.

She has a second Dan belt in Kung Fu and studies both the Chinese taijijian and English fencing. Though she has only studied the physical aspects of the art, not the mystical. Why would she when she grew up with a wand and is very proficient with its use. She is also literate in Chinese, Japanese and a smattering of Korean. All of this added together had convinced her superiors at the ministry that she was the most qualified to find and recruit a guest instructor for Hogwarts' new class.

She was very excited, why Kingsley Shackle Bolt himself had given her the Minister's instructions. Yes this was infinitely more exciting then sitting in an office reading other people's field reports.

Discussing the mission criteria with Master Shackle Bolt, they had agreed that the Minister's difficult requirements would be best met by a younger practitioner of the Art. Her superior clearly considered the task to be less then important when compared to their other duties, but Mei Lin took it as a personal challenge to prove him wrong. This was not only her chance to become more familiar with the world of her mother's ancestors, but to also introduce the students of her Alma Mater to a part of the magical world her own teachers had mostly ignored.

Normally she would have begun her search in Hong Kong, that being the city with which she was most familiar. Unfortunately with the cold war hostility that had characterized muggle relations between China and the West since the hand over of the city in 1987, and the unsolved murders of several ministry agents still working there, now was not a good time to be visiting Hong Kong with a British passport. That left South Korea and Japan.

Still, she had begun her search by calling an old friend of her mother's in Hong Kong and asking his advice. He had recommended she start in Tokyo Japan in the Nerima ward. He told her that there were reputed to be several highly skilled yet young practitioners of the Art residing there. So that was why she now found herself standing in debarking at the Tokyo International Airport.

Unfortunately with the limited relations between the magical societies of Japan and the Ministry, there were no regular port keys linking the two.

Given the lack of real contact between the Ministry in England and any equivalent organization in Japan, mostly because there wasn't one, Mei Lin had one other advantage over most of her fellows, she knew her way around the muggle world. Back in school, with most of the kids from pureblood families raining their derision down on her, she hadn't believed her muggle father when he told her that would be the case but he was right. She could live in both worlds comfortably, in contrast most in the magical world were effectively trapped and crippled.

With only her one carry on bag weighing her down, magic did have its advantages, she didn't need to waste time finding her luggage.

She breezed through customs with her English passport, being the daughter of a diplomatic attaché also had its advantages.

Wearing a dark blue pantsuit and with her wand glamoured to look like an innocuous fountain pen, the customs agent didn't give her so much as a second glance. She had a quiet chuckle at the thought of a pure blood trying to do the same.

True, most would have arrogantly apparated into the country and she expected she might do so herself several times before she finished her assignment. She also expected to spend a good deal of time in Japan finding and recruiting a new teacher and having arrived by plane would avoid all manner of difficulty with the muggle government.

Having already made reservations at a Marriott hotel in Nerima, she directed the cab driver as to where she wanted to go and then settled back into her seat.

As she did she again had to chuckle at the irony of human nature. If she had been a pure blood Chinese from the main land she would have been greeted with hostility and prejudice by the people of Japan, but because of her English citizenship and blood they showed her the polite respect for which they were so renown. They weren't so very different from the pure bloods who held them in such contempt for being muggles.

The transition from Shinjuku to Nerima passed unnoticed and soon she left the cab for a far more comfortable if modest room at the American based hotel. She ordered room service and took a quick shower before settling down for a long nap. One thing you had to say about muggle transportation, jet lag really sucked.

Monday morning came way too early and as if foreshadowing the unpleasantness to come it began with the annoying squall of the alarm clock. Akane reached out and hit the offending object without even raising her head from her pillow. She hit it a little too hard if the loud thwack it made when striking the far wall of her bedroom was any indication. She smirked into her pillow. At least that was one irritation that would cause her no more pain. It was childish and she knew she would pay for it latter, she would after all have to replace it, but right now she was grateful for any source of relief from her frustration. If only all of her problems could be dealt with so easily.

Swinging her feet over the edge and down to the floor so that she was sitting on the bed, Akane ran her fingers through the mess of black hair on her head. Her eyes were puffy and red and there were salt trails running down her cheeks. A pained moan escaped her at the thought of facing the day ahead.

Monday, her first day back to school after being abducted by Kima and the whole fiasco in China. If returning to Furinkan after missing so much school wasn't bad enough, it would also be the first time she had to face her cohorts after the debacle of the failed wedding on Saturday.

She shuddered, wrapping her arms around herself as if warding off the cold.

Her entire class had been there, along with all of her and Ranma's rivals, thanks to Nabiki.

She had chosen to sleep in that morning, too tired from her travels to go jogging. It certainly wasn't because she was too ashamed to face the neighborhood.

Closing her eyes she took several deep breaths, trying to calm her emotions and find her center before rising from her bed. That was when she heard a scratching sound coming from behind her. Nerves still strung tight from the events of the day before she sprung to her feet, turning in a defensive stance. It crossed her mind that Shampoo or Kodachi may have returned to remove an obstacle, namely her.

Looking past her bed she saw that the glass door was closed, the small balcony from which Kasumi would hang the laundry empty. No one was there.

"P-Chan" she called out in a hopeful voice. She hadn't seen her pet since before her unplanned trip to China and though she would never admit it to Ranma, after being abducted, turned into a doll and then having her wedding turned into a war zone she could really use a little comforting, even if it was only from a pig.

Getting down on her knees she looked under the bed, but P-Chan wasn't there. Remembering how often she found him lost in her closet she checked there next but he wasn't there either. Just the soiled and somewhat tattered western style white wedding dress she had worn the day before.

Holding her breath she ran her fingers down one of its sleeves, the silky smooth material sliding easily through her grasp. A small smile found its way onto her face as she remembered Ranma bursting into her room Saturday, just after Kasumi had left from helping her put it on. Whatever he had rushed in to say had been forgotten, his eyes and mouth opening wide at the sight of her. He said, or stammered really, that she was beautiful. Just the memory of it filled her with a warmth great enough to eclipse the anger and disappointment of what followed.

She released the sleeve and her held breath at the same time, turning around to face the morning. Gathering the things for her morning bath Akane slipped out the door and down the hall.

Spread out on the roof above Akane's room was a petite yet full figured red head named Ranma. She was wearing boy's boxers and a t-shirt, with a blanket bundled under her left arm. Both her hair and the blanket were slightly damp from the morning dew.

She held perfectly still, hardly daring to breath as she listened to Akane calling for that pig P-Chan. She let out a relieved sigh when she heard her fiancée leave the room. That had been too close for comfort, if Akane had caught her asleep on the balcony outside her room… She cursed herself for being so careless. If the sound of something crashing against the wall hadn't awoken her Akane would have seen her. She cringed at the thought of what would have happened if Akane had caught her asleep outside her window. She could practically hear Akane calling her a pervert and a peeping tom.

Looking down at the two breasts so prominently displayed on her chest, she couldn't help but feel it was true. With her curse she was either a guy who was supposed to be attracted to men, or a girl who is attracted to other girls. Certainly some of the dreams she had about Akane and rain showers would qualify.

She cursed herself some more. She hadn't intended to fall asleep outside her fiancée's room, she hadn't been able to sleep and had just gone to check on her. Now she had to sneak back into the house and get her hands on some hot water, all without anyone realizing that she hadn't slept in her own room. It's a good thing mom dragged pops home after the wedding.

Breakfast was a somewhat … tense affair.

Earlier that morning Akane had opened the door to the bathing room just before Ranma could. For once before accusing him of being a pervert she first looked to see if the occupied sign was still where she left it, it wasn't. Shaking her head at her father's persistence, she looked up only to discover that Ranma wouldn't look at her. She also noticed that he had braced himself, preparatory to her attack whether verbal or physical. A cold shadow fell over her heart when she recognized her fiancé's defensive posture. Not waiting for the uncomfortable silence to grow, she passed him and proceeded down the hall. Ranma never said a word, never even looked at her, but she noticed that he didn't enter the bathroom until she had rounded the corner and passed from sight either.

Now they were seated across the dinning room table from each other, not a word being said, pretending not to look at each other.

Soun was seated in his customary place at the head of the table, hidden behind his paper. Even so, his mind was not on the stock reports, but on the silent couple before him.

Nabiki wasn't there. Kasumi said she had gone to school early to speak to the school secretary about Akane's and Ranma's return to classes, clearing any difficulties created by their long absence.

Akane figured she was collecting on bets from the wedding.

Ranma figured she was selling the movie rights.

Kasumi finished setting the food on the table and everyone began eating.

Without his father present to steal his food Ranma wasn't exhibiting his usual voraciousness while eating. In fact he was mostly just pushing his food around his plate. He was still too worked up over China and the loss of his cure to have much of an appetite. Not that the water of drowned man would have cured him. Afterwards Happosai had warned him that instead of replacing the curse he already had, the two curses would have mixed into one. He shuddered when he thought of how close he had come to being cursed to be a real freak, neither a boy or a girl. Just thinking about it made him queasy, so no he wasn't hungry.

Kasumi didn't have much of an appetite either, she knew the real reason Nabiki wasn't there for breakfast. The Tendo and Saotome families had a serious problem that had to be dealt with now and while it fell under Nabiki's nominal area of responsibility, the sisters had decided that with recent events it would be better if Kasumi was the one to break the news to the others.

They were less likely to attack her.

Kasumi waited until everyone had eaten all that they were going to, which apparently wasn't very much, before broaching the rather painful subject.

"If I could have your attention please."

The others were somewhat distracted and it took a moment for them to realize that she was talking to them. When they did, she had their undivided attention. The rest of the family thought too highly of her to ignore her. Her hands clasped in her lap, Kasumi gathered her courage before releasing the proverbial tiger on her family.

Putting down the paper that he hadn't really been reading, Soun put on a serious expression intended to remind everyone at the table that he was the head of the household.

"What is it Kasumi dear?" He asked.

Ranma and Akane were also watching her and waiting, she was unaccustomed to all of the attention and it was making her a little flustered. She steeled her nerves, this needed to be dealt with and while normally Nabiki would have handled it, right now her presence would have only made things worse.

"I'm afraid that we have a serious problem."

The others were shocked to realize that for once Soun's eldest daughter was not wearing a pleasant smile. Not even the violence of the wedding had achieved that. Whatever was up, they now all knew that it was very serious if it could disturb the unflappable Kasumi.

"What's wrong Kasumi?" Akane asked in a worried voice. Ranma wished she hadn't, he realized he didn't really want to know.

Kasumi sat up even straighter, a small furrow appearing in her brow.

"I am afraid that with the damage done to the Saotome home, along with the more recent damage done to the dojo, we have overextended our resources."

Ranma knew he didn't want to know, those sounded like Nabiki words. Akane looked troubled while Soun looked like he was holding back tears.

"If we are to have enough money to repair the dojo, or even to keep eating through the rest of the month, we will need to supplement our income by no small amount."

Out of reflex Soun and Akane both looked at Ranma.

"Hey, why are you looking at me. I'm not the one who invited all of the local nutcases over to destroy mom's house looking for a non existent engagement ring and I certainly didn't invite them to destroy my wedding!"

He suddenly paled as he realized how that sounded.

"Not that I wanted to get married or nothing' … I mean, I'm still too young. Besides, who would want to marry a tom…" He had started to stick his foot in his mouth out of reflex, but looking at the pained flinch that crossed the tomboy in questions face, he just couldn't insult her.

Akane's face screwed up in anger. "Baka. Yesterday you said I was beautiful and now you claim you wouldn't want to marry me. While maybe I don't want to marry a pervert either!"

Now it was Ranma who lost his temper as her dagger struck home.

Shaking her head with a sigh, Kasumi interrupted the brewing storm.

"That wasn't a nice thing to say Ranma and Akane was very beautiful in her wedding dress."

Ranma was growing increasingly flustered and like always when he felt this way, his mouth proceeded to outrun his brain.

"Hey! I never said she wasn't, I happen to like tomboys!" His face grew even redder with embarrassment when his ears heard what his mouth was saying, out loud, for everyone to hear.

"I mean, I …" Ranma's voice choked off, he couldn't get anything more out around his foot.

A surprised smile grew on Akane's face. She was sure Ranma liked her, even if the baka was too scarred to admit it but it felt so nice to hear him say it.

Kasumi looked amused. She knew even better then Akane how the pig tailed boy felt about her baby sister and she couldn't hold back a giggle at the sight of his bright red face, not to mention that adorable pout.

Soun was crying silent hopeful tears. 'Oh Saotome, the schools will be joined' he thought to himself, 'all we have to do is deal with all of the other suitors and our children will marry'.

Kasumi stifled her amusement. As wonderful as this moment was, it was distracting them from the issue of their finances and that was something far too important to be ignored.

"Yes Ranma," she couldn't entirely hide the laughter in her voice, "we all know how much you like Akane, but we really need to deal with this little problem right now."

For just a moment Akane almost didn't like her older sister. She was really enjoying watching her fiancé squirm and didn't want the moment to end, but Kasumi was right, they needed to discuss how to handle their financial burden.

Hoping to put his slip of the tongue out of everyone's mind, Ranma withdrew his foot and attempted to keep the conversation on the topic of finances. Though it pained him to do so. He just knew this was going to hurt either his flesh or his pride, or more likely both.

"I guess it's too much to hope that Pops is getting a job? Maybe we could sell the old panda to the zoo."

Kasumi gave the pig tailed martial artist her sternest look, which was actually a look of long suffering patience tinged with disappointment. It wiped the angry look off of the boy's face as he wilted like a weed in Kodachi's green house.

"Now Ranma," she said "this is a serious matter and no time for jokes. Besides, given the amount of money we need your father couldn't be expected to earn enough in time to save your mother's home or the dojo."

Ranma cast his gaze towards the Tendo patriarch, his lips straightening into a hard line at the way the older man was looking at him. In Soun's mind it was clearly Ranma's responsibility. Knowing that their worthless fathers were again pushing the burden onto his young shoulders was enough to reignite the boy's temper and he was about to tell them it wasn't his problem, but before he could his eyes fell upon Akane's face. The worry he saw there caused a sharp pain to seize his chest. The dojo was her legacy, her dream. His look of anger changed to pained resignation. It was all too much for one person to bare, no matter how manly he was. Dropping his eyes so he didn't have to see the looks of disgust he knew would soon be on their faces, he asked in a voice barely above a whisper, "When does Nabiki want to do it?"

Kasumi looked confused, "Do what Ranma?"

He shrank even further into himself, did she have to make him say it?

"Take the pictures."

"Oh no Ranma, I'm afraid Nabiki's little hobby wouldn't provide near enough money."

Kasumi couldn't contain a twinge of disapproval at the thought of how her sister had made money off of Akane and Ranma Chan.

His pain and resignation washed away by a wave of revulsion, Ranma yelled "Ain't no way I'm dating Kuno again! Not for a cure and not for no building!"

Now it was Akane who flinched at the reminder of the wishing sword incident and Kuno's date with his pig tailed goddess. Ranma had agreed to date the Blue Blunder in a desperate attempt to cure his curse, only drawing the line when Kuno requested a kiss. All of his trouble and shame had been rewarded with the commemorative statue that the delusional kendoist wasted his last wish on. She kept it in her closet to tease him with whenever she thought he was about to embark on an idiot's quest.

"Calm down Ranma, no one is expecting you to." Kasumi couldn't suppress an amused smile, "Though you did look so cute in that sundress and hat."

Akane couldn't hold back her giggles anymore, seeing Ranma blush so brightly at Kasumi's remark.

Her mirth wasn't helping his temper any.

Deciding that it would be best to continue before the frustrated boy lost control of his rising ire, Kasumi unveiled Nabiki's plan to save their home. Withdrawing a folded flyer from one of the pockets of her apron, she spread it out on the table.

"Nabiki and I believe that our best chance of obtaining the necessary funds would be for Ranma to enter and win this martial arts tournament." That having been said, Kasumi waited for the inevitable arguments.

For Ranma the fact that Nabiki had signed off on this plan was enough reason to raise several red flags, even as it convinced him that it would most likely work, just not in a way he would like.

Akane and Soun joined Ranma in examining the suspicious article of paper, each with their own negative response to the proposal.

"Why should Ranma be the one to compete? I could win!" That was Akane.

"How are we going to come up with the entrance fee?!" A pale faced Soun.

"You have to be joking! That isn't a real martial arts tournament!" Ranma felt insulted just at the suggestion. Being asked to pose for Nabiki's camera would be more respectable.

Kasumi and Nabiki had already foreseen each of these arguments and she was prepared with well rehearsed responses for each. She started with her father for his was the easiest to answer.

"Father, it will drain our funds, but we can supply the entrance fee. We will be okay as long as Ranma wins."

Next came her baby sister and knowing how hard Akane would take it, Kasumi took firm hold of her sister's hand looking her deep in the eye.

"Akane, we only have enough money to pay for one entrance fee and though you are certainly good enough to win, you have to admit that Ranma is still better. We can't afford to take any unnecessary risks with what little money we have."

She could see how unhappy her answer made her baby sister, how it hurt her pride.

Akane, while proud, was not Ranma and she swallowed her disappointment for the good of the family.

That left Ranma, who had arrived at their home with no idea how to swallow his pride. It was the way he had been raised; that a man never bowed to pain, never relied on others, stifled his emotions and never ever relinquished his pride, for anything. She knew Ranma hadn't taken the entire lesson to heart and the two years he had lived with them had further eroded Genma's erroneous teachings. However Ranma still hid his pain and had difficulty accepting help or sharing his feelings, but he was willing to swallow his pride to help others especially family. It was just that he treated swallowing it the same way he treated Akane's cooking, with stubborn resistance and lots of belly aching. Before she could start her argument, the belly aching began.

"Kasumi, no serious artist will be competing in this tournament, only hobbyists and wannabes. I mean look at this, it takes place in Shinjuku and it's gonna be on TV. This is the kind of competition Kuno would attend. Even Ryouga would turn his piggish nose up at it."

Akane's temper was already simmering from being pushed aside in favor of Ranma and her patience quickly fell in the face of long held habits.

"Ranma! Quite picking on Ryouga! He isn't even here."

Kasumi could see the stubborn fires of anger in Ranma's eyes being fanned by her sister's defense of Ryouga. Unlike Akane, Kasumi knew the truth about P-Chan and knew how much it hurt Ranma when his fiancée placed greater trust and respect in the lost boy then in him. She didn't understand why Ranma didn't tell Akane about Ryouga's curse, but she was sure that somehow it went back to his father's twisted ideas about honor.

Twisted ideas that apparently her own father shared because he had forbidden her to tell anyone what she knew. Though Ryouga and his secret was clearly driving a wedge between the promised couple, she knew that somehow in her father's mind P-Chan's presence as her sister's pet was helping to bring them together. The joining of the schools through their marriage was too important to her father for him to accept it otherwise, and only the realization of that goal would be worth the stain on Akane's honor that the Habiki boy's deception was causing.

If Ranma's traditionally minded mother ever found out the truth about Akane's bed mate, Kasumi feared the engagement would be severed no matter what the fathers or even Ranma wanted.

P-Chan was a problem for another day, right now she needed to deal with Ranma's pride.

"Ranma, I know that the competitors in this tournament are not up to your standards, but that is exactly why your competing is such a wonderful idea. After all they are offering a respectable prize to the winner."

She found it strange the way pride kept Ranma and the other artists in her father's circle from competing in tournaments such as this one. After all, this competition was a significant step in making it to the nationals and then the Olympics. Yet for some reason her father had never given much respect to the Olympic competitors. While the rest of the world treated Olympians like the best of the best, her father had treated them like something between a joke and an insult to true artists. It was clear to her that they weren't performing the sort of feats that her father, much less Ranma were capable of, but why did that discourage them from not only joining but dominating the competition. Why didn't they seek the wealth and glory that could come from being recognized as champions, instead of practicing their art in quiet obscurity. It was almost like there was an unwritten rule stating that they mustn't draw too much attention to themselves or what the art was truly capable of. To most people the things they did were myth and movie magic.

Even though she knew her father's opinion on such competitions, Kasumi was still surprised when Soun spoke in support of Ranma's objections.

"Ranma is right Kasumi, tournaments like this one are beneath our hard won skills. Besides, once you take into account the entry fee, the prize really isn't all that big. Certainly not big enough to cover our financial short fall."

Kasumi was grateful for Nabiki's preparations for though she was surprised, her little sister had already provided her with a ready response to this very argument.

"We are aware of that father, but Nabiki assures me that she can use this tournament to obtain more than enough money for our needs." She looked a little ashamed as she went on to explain how, it wasn't entirely proper after all. "She informed me that most of the money to be had from the tournament will not come from the prize, but from the betting done on the side. She believed that you would understand this father."

Soun sat and mulled this over in his own mind and he had to admit that his daughters were right. With the winnings from side bets, especially on an unknown like Ranma, they could easily bring in more money than the dojo would in a year with full classes. Something that they had never and likely never would have. Still, he understood why Ranma was so reluctant to follow his daughter's plan. Entering such a tournament would make it that much harder for the boy to gain the respect of true artists. Oh, Soun didn't hold those who competed in such in complete contempt the way that Genma and Master Happosai did. He recognized the work and dedication that went into their art, but it didn't change the fact that what they practiced was not the true art of Samurai warriors, but that of common peasants.

Ranma had been thoroughly indoctrinated by his father and even if he didn't know all of the reasons for it, he did understand that competing against lesser artists was beneath him. He didn't want to do it, but he knew that whatever he may think of Nabiki as a person, she was never wrong when it came to money. If she felt this was their only chance to save the Tendo home and dojo then it was. He looked across the table to his fiancée. While he would inherit the dojo when they married, it was her dream, her legacy. Ranma didn't really care about teaching, his only ambition was to be the best. To him the dojo was just a place to practice out of the rain. To Akane the dojo was more than just a building, it was the blood of her ancestors and the future of her children. He knew how much she resented her father's intent to hand the dojo over to him instead of her. Ranma understood and in his mind the Tendo dojo was and would always be hers. He could see the fear of losing it in her chocolate brown eyes. He also saw the painful blow her pride had taken when her family chose to trust its future to him instead of her. Ranma may not know how to properly express his feelings, or how to keep from hurting hers with his clumsy words and thoughtless actions, but he did recognize when she was hurt and more than anything he wanted to see her smile.

"Okay Kasumi," he said in a small voice, "I'll do it."

Yes, Ranma was proud, but he would swallow it for the people he cared about.

The walk to school was a quiet return to normal for the two teenagers. They were both nervous about the reception they would receive from their peers so they had made the trip in silence. They had even remained quiet when they stopped at Dr. Tofu's clinic for hot water.

Ranma still couldn't figure out how that old woman was always able to surprise him while washing her sidewalk.

Yes, the walk to school had been a comforting return to routine, at least until they approached the school gates. If routine held, then waiting just beyond those gates was Kuno with a rose for Akane and a wooden bokken for Ranma. In perfect sync they both unconsciously shortened their stride, neither looking forward to a bout of the Blue Blunder's usual idiocy. They were approaching the school gates with a dark cloud of gloom hanging over them, when they were stopped by the rapidly approaching sound of shoes on cement and Nabiki's voice calling out franticly for her sister's attention. As one they turned to watch Nabiki running towards them.

Nabiki hated running, running was for people who weren't in control and she was always the one in control. She didn't even run in P.E. While she did make an effort to keep in shape for the sake of her figure, the closest she came to athletic activities was the betting pool. Right now she was running for all she was worth and wishing that she was a jogger like Akane.

She had been sitting in class, collecting on the pool for her baby sister's first wedding attempt and organizing bets on what would happen when the not so married couple arrived at school when she overheard a particularly ugly bit of rumor.

Tatewaki Kuno wasn't in the classroom waiting with the other students. Nabiki didn't expect he would be, that was one wager that nobody in the school would take. No, she like everyone else expected him to be waiting in the courtyard for the 'Fierce Tigress, Akane Tendo' and the 'Foul Sorcerer Saotome'. She had taken bets on who would hit him first. No, what had her so upset that she was running like a frantic teenager, which for the first time she was, was what she had overheard several members of the kendo club laughing about.

According to them, Kuno had a bed and other accouterments delivered that morning by truck to the kendo training hall, turning it into a honeymoon suite worthy of someone of his stature. It seemed that the noble scion wasn't intending to attend classes that morning. Instead he and his wives, yes plural, would be spending the morning performing the vital task of consummating their marriage.

Somehow Kuno had convinced himself that Saturdays wedding ceremony was his and that he had married both Akane and the pig tailed girl. Looking out her classroom window, Nabiki could see him waiting just inside the school gates and that wasn't a wooden bokken at his side. So running she had left the school through a side gate in an attempt to warn her little sister before anything happened. In spite of her best efforts, she had only barely caught them less than two dozen feet from the gates.

While Nabiki raced to warn her sister and Kuno waited to escort his bride to the clouds and the rain, fate, and a Jusenkyo curse had set their own forces into motion. Unknown to any potentially responsible adults, which couldn't be found at Furinkan High School anyway, the members of the science club had their own loftier plans for the morning.

Out back of the equipment shed, the club members had gathered to launch an experiment that would one day place their names in the annals of science. Using bamboo, aluminum foil, MacGyver tape, sheet metal, six nine volt batteries and a defunct cell phone ( it was more than six months old and belonged to Gosenkugi ), they had constructed a rocket that would be powered by water and reach an estimated twelve thousand feet. It was a three stage rocket carrying a full load of H2O liquid fuel.

The rocket, under the guidance of a stop watch and a second cell phone with a speed dial, would be powered by burning the hydrogen and oxygen separated from the water with the nine volt batteries. The ingeniously simple vehicle would travel to its maximum altitude where it would ignite and release its payload, three naval rescue flares that should be visible from the ground, announcing their brilliant achievement to everyone in the city below.

It had about as much chance of succeeding as Genma holding down a job.

The first stage set off perfectly, lifting the contraption from its earthly cradle and more than a hundred feet into the air.

That is when fate, or random chance take your pick, decided to intervene. It seems that Gosenkugi finally realized that his cell phone was missing, he hadn't realized it before because no one ever called him on it. His mother might have, but she often forgot she had a son, she certainly couldn't be expected to remember his cell phone number.

Gos was running late because it had taken him a while to find the card on which he had written down the number. It wasn't like anyone ever asked him for it, so he didn't remember it either.

It had proven difficult to find because he had used it as a bookmark in a tome on remote viewing. He had hoped to be able to use this fantastical skill to see into the girls showers at school and watch the beauteous Akane Tendo while he handled… I mean while he looked for clues on how to free her from the ham fisted grasp of that worthless jock, Ranma Saotome. ( I promise, his intentions were truly noble and not the least bit perverted.)

Now armed with his own cell number, he was calling it from his home phone in hopes that he could track down the sound of its ringing. This was vital if he had any hope of finding it since he honestly couldn't remember what it looked like, though an image of Card Captor Sakura seemed to figure prominently in his memory. His mother really didn't get the whole magic bit.

Unfortunately for the science club, Gos dialed his own cell phone early in the first stage, prematurely starting the rockets second stage. Since the first stage had yet to expend its load of fuel it hadn't yet broken free, clearing the way for the second stage. With its aperture blocked the second stage, instead of using its fuel to maintain a controlled burn, exploded.

If that wasn't bad enough Gos, failing to hear the sound of his phone ringing, double checked the number and tried dialing it again, setting off the third stage which also exploded.

The consequences of the unintentionally sabotaged launch were two fold.

The first was the release and ignition of the three flares. One flew straight and true into the sky. The second began a spiraling race to the ground were it struck the equipment shed, causing the gathered members of the science club to forget their experiment and their dignity and scatter like frightened chickens. The last and final flare was destined for a more glorious end. Launching like an uncontrolled cannonball, it barreled its way through the air sideways until it crashed through a window and into the science lab of all places. There it struck the handle of a table mounted gas feed for an unlit Brunson Burner, the smashed remains then flipped across the room to land in a paper filled wastepaper basket. Which ironically happened to be filled with the discarded plans for alternate designs of that very rocket, along with several tear soaked copies of the invitation to Akane and Ranma's wedding.

There the shattered flare started a merry little fire, which went unnoticed because anyone who might have been in the room to see it was instead racing away from the equipment shed like Happosai after a productive day of panty stealing. It took several minutes for the releasing gas to fill the large room enough to reach the trash can. When it did the resulting flash fire ensured that Monday would be a very short school day at Furinkan High.

The last and final consequence of the science club's failed shot for the history books was the sudden release of more than two and a half stages worth of unburned liquid fuel, aka; water. Which was drawn by supernatural forces to rain down upon the space in front of the school gates. Soaking the panting Nabiki, her little sister Akane, and one aquatransexual named Ranma.

The sound of the explosions had drawn the attention of every student currently in the courtyard, including that of the illustrious Blue Thunder, Tatewaki Kuno. The single flare that reached for the heavens caught his eye and like a cat watching ping pong his entire attention was arrested by the shinning star. He watched until it passed from sight. Which by some strange coincidence, left him staring directly at the three soaking wet girls standing outside the gate.

The sight of the three most significant women in his life ignited the fires of passion in his heart.

Also on a side note, it indelibly linked the Ice Queen Nabiki Tendo with the fierce Akane and the pig tailed goddess in the underutilized mind of the noble captain of the kendo team.

Nabiki would not be amused when she learned that Kuno was now planning yet another marriage, adding her to his beloved harem.

It goes without saying that Ranma Saotome did not wear a school uniform, instead dressing in Chinese silks. It is also a well known fact that silk, when introduced to water, molds itself tightly to whatever form lies beneath it like a second skin. It again goes without saying that Ranma still refused to wear a bra, especially since she had still been a he just a moment ago.

The end result of this fortuitous meeting of unrelated variables was the blatant display of Ranma-Chan's generous assets, followed by what little intellect Kuno could lay claim to falling from its place above his broad shoulders and into his pants.

Before Ranma, now Ranma-Chan, could recover from the shock of her sudden dousing, Kuno had wrapped himself about her like an amorous octopus. Giving the illusion that he had at least six arms and grasping hands, two of which were now holding and squeezing her aforementioned assets.

No one outside of her dreams was allowed to touch Ranma there, and even in her dreams only Akane was allowed. Something she would die before ever sharing with anyone, especially Akane. An enraged shriek, followed by a flurry of blows sent Kuno into slumber's sweet embrace and decided the winners of that mornings betting pool.

It was then that the gathered students noticed the thick clouds of black smoke rising from the upper floor of the school and with a resounding cheer, they left in a rush for home and whatever entertainments awaited them. As much as no one wanted to truly be Ranma Saotome, no matter how much they might wish to claim specific parts of his life, they were all truly grateful for his presence at their school.

When the three ladies of the Tendo household returned home shortly after school should have started Kasumi wasn't surprised, especially since it was two ladies and one man that left for school that morning. She was shocked to learn that it wasn't because of any action of their own.

Soun had already left for the Saotome home, he felt it necessary to start preparing his friend Genma for Ranma's entry into the tournament immediately. His plan involved a lot of time and even greater amounts of sake.

A soaking wet Akane went upstairs to her room to change and then begin on the mountain of school work Nabiki had collected for her while she was in China.

Ranma had promised to join her after changing herself. First though, Ranma had business with Nabiki to deal with and for that she felt it more appropriate to approach the older girl alone and in female form.

Once Akane was safely out of sight and in her room, Ranma made her way to Nabiki's bedroom door and quietly knocked.

Like her sister, Nabiki had retreated to her room to change out of her own wet uniform and was currently standing beside her bed in a bra and French cut panties. On the way home she had warned Akane and Ranma about Kuno's latest delusion, something that had excited them to no end if not in the way Kuno desired. So when she heard the gentle rapping at her door, she assumed that it was Akane and without checking first called out for her to enter.

Worried about being spotted, Ranma slipped quickly into the room closing the door carefully behind her. By the time she looked up it was to find the middle Tendo standing there, her own generous assets on display.

Nabiki, like her sisters and their mother before them, was a very beautiful girl with a wonderful figure. The difference was that unlike her sisters she knew it and had no qualms about showing it.

Akane was too concerned with perverted boys to ever enjoy the power that her looks held over them. Probably because Kuno's speech had stolen that power from her before she ever got a chance to wield it. Kasumi had taken over the role of mother and house keeper long before her own figure filled out and though she had a body that men would give anything to hold, it was hidden beneath her apron and house dresses before she too ever had an opportunity to taste that power. In fact the only man who had ever seen even a glimpse of Kasumi's beauty without the housewife disguise was Dr. Tofu, due to providing health care and superficial check ups for the girls. The end result of that was that he could no longer face the girl without being overwhelmed by the memory of having once seen her in only a bra and panties. An additional fallout from that event was that the Dr. was now careful to always knock before entering one of his own exam rooms.

Unlike her sisters, Nabiki knew she was desirable and the clothes she wore were chosen because of the way they presented her beauty. At least at home that often equated to painted on shorts and a tight t-shirt. Thus attired, Nabiki had teased their house guest more than once. She thought he was cute when he was flustered, the red of his blush brought out the blue in his eyes. While she had never given serious consideration to the idea of stealing her sister's fiancé, she did enjoy wielding the power of her body to make him squirm.

It seemed to be a trait of the Tendo girls.

Anyone watching could see the way Kasumi glowed with pleasure whenever the sight of her sent the good doctor into one of his fits.

The reason Soun had never once in ten years considered remarrying was because a not so innocent Kimiko still haunted his dreams like he was an adolescent school boy.

Due to the actions of Kuno and the morning assaults, Akane had taken to wearing only clothes that hid her feminine charms, but while she still cried wolf, she had come to trust her fiancé and with that trust out came her vanished shorts and summer dresses. While she was still very conservative compared to Nabiki, if not as bad as Kasumi, more than once the Tendo girl had been seen unconsciously teasing Ranma.

The memory of seeing her naked in the doorway of the furo on his first day in their home still plagued Ranma's dreams.

Now Ranma found herself staring at a nearly naked Nabiki, only she didn't respond the way Akane had. When a naked Ranma was confronted by a nude Akane, they had both been momentarily frozen by shock. Ranma had himself been too stunned to see it, but Akane's shock had been quickly supplanted by fear. It was only after covering herself and being surrounded by her family that she escaped panics cold claws and then she had been filled with the fires of indignant rage. Remnants of that anger still poisoned their relationship to this day.

Nabiki on the other hand, while surprised to discover Ranma-Chan and not Akane standing before her door, did not freeze up in shock and she certainly didn't feel any fear. Not for a second did she shrink into herself defensively. When she realized who had entered the room, her instinctive response was to instead arch her back, throwing her profile into a bold display. A playful smirk appeared upon her face as she took in the boy turned girl's wide open eyes. Then that smirk was reconfigured into a lustful leer when she saw what the wet silk shirt was making very clear and given the red flush that had spread up Ranma's neck and across her face, Nabiki knew it wasn't from the cold.

"So Saotome, see anything you like?"

Nabiki's mocking voice was enough to shake Ranma out of her fugue state and she spun about, hand on the door ready to flee.

No, she had come to the middle Tendo's room for a reason and it was too important to allow Nabiki's teasing to chase her off. Still facing the door, her back to the other girl, she firmed her resolve and spoke.

"N..Nabiki" Ranma squeaked out in spite of her best intentions.

"Yes Ranma-Chan?"

The uncomfortable situation, the teasing lilt in Nabiki's voice, and the fact that Ranma was a typical sexually frustrated teenager, combined to replace part of her embarrassment with growing anger.

"Put some clothes on!"

The sound of Nabiki's laughter threatened to push the pig tailed girl over the edge and out of the room.

"Aw Ranma, your no fun. Kasumi and I were right you know. You and Akane are perfect for each other."

Ranma listened intently to the sound of rustling cloth as Nabiki dressed behind her. She was trying to think about the reason why she was here and not about the way the older girl looked wearing next to nothing.

"All right Ranma, it's safe to turn around."

After a quick glance to make sure the other girl wasn't lying, Ranma turned to face her. Bringing to mind the image of Akane's disappointed face at the breakfast table that morning, she grabbed her courage and broached the topic that brought her here.

"Kasumi told you that, that I agreed to enter that tournament?"

Nabiki frowned, Saotome better not be trying to back out now.

"Yes Ranma, she told me."

The redhead licked her lips nervously.

"Is there, could we enter Akane too?"

Nabiki sighed. "Ranma, I know Kasumi explained that we don't have enough money to enter both of you."

She hadn't actually gotten a chance to talk to Kasumi yet, only meeting long enough for her older sister to nod in response to her questioning look, but she had helped the happy homemaker prepare for the morning and they did cover Akane's likely responses, including this one.

Ranma was unconsciously wringing her hands.

"Couldn't you, you know, sell Kuno some pictures or something?"

For the second time in one day the impossible had happened, Nabiki was caught flat footed. First the strength of the Blue Blunder's delusions and now this. She turned to look the other girl in the eye before she continued, she didn't want any misunderstandings.

"I don't know Ranma. Kuno doesn't usually pay that much for photos."

The look on Ranma's face looked like she had just eaten Akane's cooking.

"What if, what if they were … special pictures?"

Nabiki was starting to get an idea of where this was going.

"What do you mean by 'special'?"

"Well, like the pictures you took for … well, for the old pervert."

The look of extreme discomfort made it clear Ranma was referring to the panty shot pictures she took during the moxibustion weakness point.

Now it was Nabiki who was licking her lips, and not from a case of nerves.

"Well, if the pictures were special enough, I think I could get the necessary money."

She didn't mention that even if Kuno alone was unwilling to pay enough, multiple copies sold to multiple people would easily make up the difference. A momentary twinge of conscience made her ask, "Are you sure you want to do this Ranma?"

Not trusting herself enough to speak, Ranma's only response was a nod.

The happy grin that only came when she was making money was now gracing Nabiki's lips.

"Okay Ranma. Let me look in my drawers and see if I can find something 'special' enough."

The red head gulped, then when she saw what the older girl pulled from the bottom of her drawer she squeaked. 'Momma isn't going to like this.' she thought to herself.

A short time later a blushing Ranma-Chan left Nabiki's room and after a quick, as in running all the way to the kitchen like the hounds of hell were on her tail, splash of hot water, a now male Ranma joined Akane in her room to work on his own mountain of homework.

A while after that a more sedate Nabiki left the house, a plain white envelope in hand and smiling like the proverbial cat that swallowed the canary. A quick call to Kuno was all it took to convince him to meet her for lunch. She tried to arrange to meet at her favorite restaurant, but Kuno insisted that they meet at one located in the mall. Normally she would have insisted on general principal, but the restaurant he picked was equally expensive and she was too anxious to start making money to waste time arguing.

She hadn't even needed to mention the pictures she was carrying, he actually seemed anxious to see her for herself. That made her a little nervous, it usually meant that he had dreamed up some ridicules plan that required her involvement.

When she arrived at the restaurant she was greeted by the matri'di, who led her to a private table in a secluded corner. Nabiki found herself to be uncomfortably underdressed when she saw Kuno. He was dressed for a formal dinner, not a business lunch. Then to her amazement, Kuno himself rose to pull out the chair for her.

Normally she would have to handle and maneuver him into buying her lunch, but before she could say a word he had already ordered the most expensive thing on the menu. Given the mornings events, she was starting to feel like she had woken up in the twilight zone. It only got worse when he unexpectedly reached across the table and took her hand in his, then just held it, his thumb caressing the soft skin between her first and second knuckle.

Disconcerted, she tried to distract him by placing the envelope on the table, but he only gave it a cursory glance before staring deep into her eyes. She would have pulled her hand away, but that would be a poor way to open negotiations.

"Kuno baby," she began.

"Yes Nabiki." he responded, still looking dreamily into her eyes.

His odd behavior was beginning to make her nervous, but she focused on the money instead.

"Kuno baby, I have for you a once in a life time opportunity."

She placed the hand he wasn't holding atop the envelope, drawing his attention to it, but again it failed to hold his interest away from her face.

"Dearest Nabiki, have I ever told thee how thy eyes doth sparkle when conducting our affairs?"

The way he said the word 'affairs' carried an obvious double meaning.

Nabiki just stared back at him, her mind frozen in shock. He was smiling at her in a way that said he knew how much she wanted him. She was saved from further embarrassment by the arrival of the waiter pushing their meal on a small cart.

Releasing her hand to make room for the food, Kuno waited for the waiter to leave before speaking again.

"Come my dear, let us delay the trivial concerns of barter until after we have enjoyed this pleasant repast."

The meal was one of the finest Nabiki had ever eaten, and she didn't taste any of it. All through the meal Kuno watched her, a mysterious little smile upon his lips.

She didn't even realize she was eating until she placed empty chopsticks in her mouth. Before she knew it the waiter was there to remove their plates, while another placed before her a chocolate mousse that was so rich and decedent that she felt guilty just looking at it. The taste of it melting on her tongue was too delicious to ignore and succeeded in bringing her mind back from La-la land. She tried to ignore her 'date' while she finished. All too soon the dessert was gone but fortunately it had given her the time she needed to get back in control.

Before Kuno could retake the initiative, she pulled one of the photos from the envelope, holding it face down.

"Kuno baby, I have here four pictures of the pig tailed girl, the likes of which you have never seen before. I can honestly say that I will probably never have pictures of this quality to offer again."

To her annoyance he had yet to look away from her face, but when she turned over the picture with all the showmanship she had acquired his eyes took a brief glance down then nearly popped from his head.

Lying there on the table between them was a picture of Ranma-Chan, standing posed before the window in Nabiki's bedroom, wearing a lacy red teddy straight from Victoria's Secret in America. Ranma had been embarrassed while posing for the picture and it showed in a noticeable blush that covered nearly every inch of her visible skin. It made her look both vulnerable and shy. It fired up Kuno's desires and his manly protective instincts in a one two combination that nearly floored him.

Nabiki was smiling again, she had him hook, line and sinker.

With overplayed deliberation she slowly removed the other three pictures from the envelope, placing them one at a time atop the first so that they didn't compete with each other for his attention.

The next two were similar to the first, with Ranma-Chan posing before the window, first in a sinful black teddy and then a virginal white. The last though, that one was the money shot and she played it up for all it was worth. Considering how hard it had been to get Ranma to pose for it, it had better be worth a lot.

The picture showed Ranma-Chan seated on Nabiki's bed, her clasped arms holding a clean white sheet over her breasts and draped across her lap to cover her torso. She was blushing even harder than she had in the previous pictures and it was obvious it spread from her head to her toes.

In truth the picture showed no more flesh than the others, but somehow knowing that she was deliciously naked behind that sheet raised its impact to inhuman levels.

Nabiki gave a start when the table suddenly jumped. Kuno was gripping its edges so tightly she could hear the tendons in his hands popping and he was breathing so hard that she worried he might have a heart attack before she could complete the deal.

Sliding the pictures off the table and back into the envelope, she then used it to fan her face in an enticing manner.

"I'm sure you will agree Kuno baby, these photos are head and shoulders above any I have provided you before and are worth far more as well."

Kuno had his eyes closed tight, a near pained look upon his face, his strain showing in the way the tendons were standing taught along his neck.

"Truly…" he whispered, "she is a goddess sent down among men as a reward for my own greatness. It pains me as much as it surely doth her that we have been forced by malevolent and dishonorable foes to delay the consummation of our holy bonds."

Nabiki nearly chocked when she heard that. Maybe this hadn't been such a great idea after all.

"Oh, how it doth delight me to know that the chains of Saotome's vile spells over her have weakened enough that she was able to obtain such delightful garments for my pleasure on our honeymoon."

Now Nabiki was not only nervous, she was for once grateful that she hadn't brought any pictures of Akane to sweeten the pot. No amount of money would be worth unleashing the lust she saw before her on her baby sister. She desperately reminded herself that this was all Ranma's idea.

"Yes Kuno baby, the … desire … she shows in these photos make them truly priceless. However, I am afraid that I am only a mortal woman and I must ask something for them in return. Surely you would agree that it is only a mere pittance that I ask for. Ten thousand yen and all four are yours."

It was more than three times what she had ever asked for before and she hoped he was too carried away to balk at the amount.

She grew a little nervous when she saw he was calming down and regaining control. Then her nervousness turned to fearful horror as he not only looked her steadily in the eyes, but made a dreadful counter offer of his own.

"I will gladly exchange a mere ten thousand yen, nay, twelve thousand yen, if you will but meet my small condition."

"What … what is that Kuno?" Now she was hoping Rod Sterling would appear, or even Allen Funt, anyone who could save her from this surreal reality that had consumed her own.

"My demand is but a little one Nabiki Tendo. Within this lowly establishment, this mall, there resides a business that deals in portrait photography. I will give you twelve thousand yen for those four pictures of my beautiful goddess, if you will accompany me to said studio and allow them to take one picture of your own magnificent self that I might place it beside those of my beloved wives. A trifling to help me continue until the day that we too might share the blessed bonds of matrimony."

Nabiki knew it was a mistake, knew that she would one day regret it, but the money was too good to pass up. So she accompanied the frighteningly lucid kendoist to the photographer's studio and with a pale face, she posed for the desired picture.

She scarfed down three whole boxes of chocolate poky on the way home and was just starting on her fourth when Kasumi snatched it from her hand.

"Really Nabiki dear, all that candy will spoil your appetite for dinner."

Smiling, the eldest Tendo left her little sister quivering in the hallway as she returned to the kitchen. She didn't notice as her pale faced sister fled up the stairs to her room where she hid under the covers until Akane came to collect her for dinner.

That evening they were joined for dinner by Ranma's mother, Nodoka. Soun and Genma were notably absent. Not that any of the Tendo girls were surprised. They knew that it would take their father many hours and an abundance of sake to convince Ranma's father that their plan was necessary.

Ranma had not so jokingly suggested that if the old panda refused to accept it, then his mom and Kasumi could just threaten not to feed him until he got a job and made the needed money himself. His suggestion would have been fine, even funny, if he hadn't gone on to add that if need be they could threaten to have Akane cook for him. It was a good thing Nodoka had decided to join them rather then spend the evening home alone. Without her there to ride herd over the engaged couple the evening probably would have been lost to arguing.

All through dinner, Ranma anxiously watched Nabiki. After coming home from her meeting with Kuno, she had locked herself in her room and refused to answer the door. He prayed to any kami that would listen that she had succeeded in getting the money for Akane's entry fee, cause if his mother ever saw any of those pictures he wouldn't have to worry anymore about food. The only thing he would be putting in his stomach was six inches of steel.

By the time Akane called her to dinner Nabiki had mostly recovered from her 'date' with Kuno. She shuddered when she realized that any meetings with him from this day forth would likely be couched in such terms. Ranma had knocked on her door several times after she returned, but she hadn't been ready to face anyone so she had ignored him. Then all through dinner he cast anxious looks her way, often enough that the other women at the table picked up on it.

Predictably it was Akane who demanded an explanation first.

"All right Ranma, what's going on?"

The look in her eyes made it clear she would not be brushed off, but Ranma couldn't help but try anyway.

"What? I'm just eating my dinner. Can't I even do that without you getting suspicious."

"Don't give me that you baka. You've been staring at Nabiki like your waiting for her to grow a second head. Now tell me what is going on."

"Yes Ranma." That was Nodoka. "Why don't you tell us why you are so anxious."

Ranma looked back and forth between the two dominant women in his life, his mouth opening and closing like a hooked fish. Normally he would use Akane's temper to distract her from any topic he was too uncomfortable to discuss, but he didn't dare do that with his mother. Even if she wouldn't ask him to fulfill his father's vow, he was still too afraid of her rejection to risk disappointing her in any way.

Nabiki watched him flounder for several minutes. It made her feel much better after her own experience that afternoon. Finally she decided to rescue the poor boy before he drowned in his own sweat.

"Ranma is just anxious to share the news with Akane." She threw out calmly.

Nodoka looked especially interested in this 'news'. Though it couldn't be the news she was most anxious to hear, after all that would be Akane sharing it with Ranma, even with her son's curse she was sure of that. She looked calm and proper on the surface, but deep inside she was dreaming about grandchildren and the patter of little feet filling her empty home.

"Then why don't you tell her now Ranma." That was Kasumi. She hoped it was good news.

Ranma just sat there and gaped, for once his mouth wasn't running any faster than his brain, which wasn't engaging at all. Growing bored with waiting, Nabiki shared their secret with the family.

"Ranma and I worked out a way to pay for Akane's entry fee to the tournament."

Akane sat frozen in shock. "My entry fee?"

"Yea Tomboy," Ranma finally found his tongue. "You'll get to represent your dojo."

Akane was so excited that she didn't even notice the almost insult. Ranma was so overwhelmed by the smile that appeared upon her face that he didn't even think to try to dodge her as she leaped across the table, tackling him to the floor in the patented Tendo Glomp, minus the tears.

Nabiki was quietly slipping out a small camera to capture the moment. It would be worth its weight in gold the next time she needed to handle her father.

Nodoka was feeling that warm fuzzy feeling in her breast. 'My son is so manly!'

While Kasumi was pleased to see Akane showing her happiness so openly, she was disturbed by the thought of how Ranma might have helped Nabiki obtain the money. She may act oblivious, but she knew how her sister used the pig tailed boy to make money and this would require a lot of it. She remembered Ranma's claim that he wouldn't date Kuno again and hoped he hadn't changed his mind. The samurai wannabe made her nervous.

As Ranma lay there buried under a jubilant Akane, he had a sudden epiphany. 'This is nice' he thought to himself. Like Akane he was so caught up in the moment that he forgot they had an audience.

When Akane didn't immediately jump up or slap him for letting her take such liberties with him, he started to feel a little courage bubbling up inside along with desire. Without really giving it any thought ( Ranma was like Hamlet that way. If he thought about doing something too much, he would think his way right out of doing it ), he gingerly raised his arms around his fiery fiancée and timidly held her.

'Oh yeah' he said to himself, 'This is very nice'.

Growing up he had suffered a severe deficit when it came to gestures of affection or intimacy. Because of the ten year training trip his own mother hadn't even held him since he was five years old. With his father everything was training. That meant their interpersonal relations had been limited to competition and pain. Pain is a wonderful teacher as his father was so fond of saying. Even his childhood friendship with Ucchan had been expressed mostly through sparing.

No, the only hugs he could remember receiving were sexually exploitative glomps that left him feeling funny and uncomfortable. In the case of Kuno, who's embraces were more about groping than holding, they left him feeling soiled.

Akane was so excited at getting a chance to represent her families dojo and prove herself, and knowing that Ranma had helped make it possible, that she held him pinned to the floor for nearly a minute before she realized what she had done or where she was.

For just a brief moment she was overwhelmed by the knowledge that it was Ranma she felt beneath her.

Then before she could become embarrassed or worry that he didn't want her there, she felt his strong arms wrap gently around her.

'I'm holding Ranma! Ranma is holding me!'

Without meaning to she snuggled tighter to him.

'Oh my' echoed through her mind, 'this is nice'.

The three older women around the table had been just as surprised as Ranma when Akane sprang across the table, pinning her fiancé to the floor. They watched with abated breath as Ranma wrapped his arms around Akane, then released a collective sigh when she responded by settling in closer. Even Nabiki experienced a warm feeling of contentment at the sight.

Who knows how long this touching moment may have gone on if not for the sudden banging of the front gate, followed by very loud and off key male voices drunkenly singing two very different songs.

Their fathers had returned and from the sound of it, Soun had worked very hard to convince Genma to agree to the tournament.

Nodoka, Kasumi and Nabiki turned back from the approaching noise to discover that somehow Ranma and Akane were now seated at the table side by side, their hands and their eyes in their laps.

"Damn." Everyone looked at Kasumi in shock.

The tension of the moment broken, the room filled with guffaws of laughter.

Tuesday morning Akane Tendo awoke feeling much better than she had the day before. Sure she had yet to face her peers at school after the fiasco of the wedding ( The science club rocket had saved her from that. ) and the various rivals were still out there waiting to raise their ugly heads. It was still possible that Shampoo or Kodachi might try to kill her. None of that was important right now. Right now she couldn't even see any problems from where she was sitting on cloud nine.

She was going to compete in the tournament with Ranma. She was going to represent the Tendo dojo in front of everyone, and Ranma helped make it all possible. Nabiki didn't say how, but she specifically said that she and Ranma had obtained the money for her entry fee.

A blush came to her face as she remembered tackling her fiancé in the excitement of the moment.

Her body responded in other ways as she remembered the feel of his arms about her, his tight body lying beneath her.

Akane shook her head to clear it. She isn't like the boys at school, she's not a pervert, but the feel of Ranma pressed against her made her wonder what she was missing.

Arms raised above her, the left pointing towards the ceiling, right crossing behind her head, her back arched as she stretched. She was going jogging, the neighbors be damned. Today she felt like she could face anything. After changing out of her pajamas and into her sweats, she headed out her door and down the steps to unexpectedly find Ranma waiting at the bottom.

He was wearing one of his Chinese outfits, but were she was bursting with energy he looked like he hadn't slept in a week. She bit her lip in concern. China hadn't been easy on any of them and Ranma had been the target of several explosive culinary devices after their return, but that was three days ago, he was always quick to recover. Nothing ever kept him down for long.

Smiling she realized that was one of the things she admired about him, no matter how irritating it could make him. Sure he was arrogant, and yes she did wish that just once he would ask for her help, but she knew that no matter what he faced he wouldn't quit. Run away ( The Saotome Final Technique ) sure, but he would always come back with a new way to defeat any challenge. She knew she was stubborn, but Ranma, he was indomitable. Prince Herb had proven that, even when trapped as a girl Ranma had refused to accept defeat. 'Ranma Saotome doesn't lose', as childish as it sounded it was the motto he lived by.

Well now it was going to be her motto too. 'Akane Tendo doesn't lose' and the world had just better learn to accept it.

Reaching the bottom of the stairs, she put on her running shoes with a smile.

"Gee Ranma, I know your mother said we should train together but I didn't expect you to go jogging with me." Well that wasn't exactly what aunt Nodoka had said. She had told him it would be manly of him to train with his fiancé in preparation for the tournament, but Akane didn't feel the need to rub his mother's fixation on manliness in his face on this wonderful morning.

Today nothing was going to disturb her good mood. She wouldn't allow it.

He gave her a tired wave, not having the energy to waste on starting an argument with her.

"What's wrong Ranma?" She asked in concern, putting one hand on his forehead to check for a fever. "Didn't you sleep well?"

While he hadn't been hot before, she could feel the heat build along with his blush when she touched him. She had to fight back a giggle, he looked just like he did last night when he lay beneath her. Thinking about that caused her to blush as well.

Ranma was just blushing because of her touch though. He wasn't sick, but he wasn't about to tell her that he hadn't been sleeping well because he kept waking up in fear that she was gone. Nor was he going to tell her that he had been spending most of his nights on the balcony outside her room watching her sleep. Instead he just gave a weary shrug.

"It's nothing Akane, I'm just used to having pops waking me up. I'll be just fine once we get going."

"If you say so." And with those words she was out the door, out of the compound and down the street, Ranma running to keep up.

A few minutes later Ranma-Chan was grumbling imprecations under her breath.

"Jeez, shouldn't that old lady still be in bed?"

She squeezed water out of her red pig tail.

"How many times a morning does she wash that sidewalk anyhow?"

Akane could only laugh at her wet fiancée.

Ahead was an apartment complex with a high stone wall around it.

"Ranma."

The girl in question looked up at her now taller fiancée.

"Do you think I should run on the fences today? As training I mean."

Ranma followed her gaze to the rapidly approaching wall.

"Sure Akane, your balance needs some work if your going to spar with me."

Akane bit her tongue at the unintended insult. Ranma didn't even realize she had just put her foot in her mouth. Instead she just went on shoving it in there as far as she could.

"That wall would be a good start and its not like anyone could see your underpants dressed like that."

Ranma grew flustered as she suddenly realized she was headed into dangerous waters with that last comment.

"I mean, its not like anyone would want to see your blue panties … not that I think about your underpants or nothing!"

It was a struggle for Akane to keep from slapping her for that last remark. Uncharacteristically Ranma didn't even realize how close she was to being smacked, her mind being filled with the image of Akane's blue panties, the ones she had seen during that first fight with Kuno. Just one more image to haunt her dreams at night.

Akane held back her anger, she wouldn't let anything ruin today. Besides, she knew the baka pervert didn't mean anything by it. Ranma just couldn't help being stupid. Akane blushed as red as the baka pervert when a sudden image from one of her dreams last night, one involving Ranma and her panties together, flashed across her mind. It didn't make it any better that Ranma had been a girl for part of that dream.

Ignoring her companions stammering, Akane climbed atop the stone wall and started a tentative run down its length.

Ranma stopped chewing on her tongue long enough to realize that Akane was gone. For a moment panic seized her, then she saw the dark haired girl staggeringly running down the wall away from her. 'Clumsy tomboy' she thought to herself with a smile before jumping up on the wall and running after her.

The apartment building and its grounds took up an entire block with streets on all four sides. The stone wall was only broken by a few narrow gates for pedestrians and cars. Instead of continuing down the street the two just circled the complex until Akane was running atop the wall with steady confidence. She had only been forced to jump down a couple of times, she even crossed the gates several times, her feet running the narrow rails without falling. By the time they decided to head home, they were both running with happy smiles upon their faces. Each thought 'I could get used to this'.

Mei Lin wasn't having nearly as good a day as Ranma and Akane. She had been in Nerima for more than a week now, visiting dojos, looking for any signs of magic use. It no longer seemed like such a good thing that there were literally hundreds of small dojos littering the ward, it would take her months to find and visit them all. That morning she had sent off a letter to the ministry reporting her inability to find any prospects and the whole mission had her very frustrated. Sure, some of the dojos had magically empowered masters in them, but all were too old to serve the ministry's purposes.

With a resigned sigh, she put a helmet upon her head and climbed astride a rented scooter. The list of private dojos in her pocket seemed so unmanageably large this morning.

When Ranma and Akane exited the Tendo home with their book bags and uniforms, while Ranma's mother was staying with them she insisted that he wear his uniform to school curse or no curse, they were surprised to find Nabiki waiting for them. Without a word she joined them on their walk to school, not even leaving them when they stopped at Dr. Tofu's clinic for hot water.

'How many times does that old woman wash her walk in the morning?'

Nabiki remained silent the entire time so she clearly didn't join them to talk. It was beginning to weird them out.

When they passed through the school's gates no one was surprised to find Kuno waiting for them, a steel blade at his side.

"Ah, the beauteous Akane Kuno, like you how I have longed for this moment, and with the lovely Nabiki by your side. If only the spirited pig tailed girl was accompanying you instead of this vile cretin."

With his hand on the hilt of his sword, Kuno then turned his gaze towards Ranma and the two exchanged hard looks.

When the Blue Blunder spoke of Nabiki with such affection, Akane had turned to her sister only to find her pale, her eyes shifting around like those of a frightened horse.

Akane knew there was a story behind her sister's unusual behavior this morning and she intended to wring it out of her. One way or another.

Then it hit her, Tatewaki had named her a Kuno.

Nabiki had warned her that he thought Ranma's girl form and herself were now married to him, but she hadn't truly grasped what that meant until this moment. She swallowed hard. Things at school had just gotten worse.

Ranma was too focused on Kuno to notice Akane's growing discomfort. Eyes watching the older boy, he moved away from the Tendo sisters, ensuring that they wouldn't be in danger when the samurai wannabe attacked.

"Today Saotome, the wrath of heaven will at last remove you from our lives. Then I and my loving wife Akane shall retire to the sacred kendo training hall and at last she will be free to express her devotion to me." Kuno shuddered in ecstasy at the image of a naked Akane waiting in his bed.

Seeing the look of rapture that spread over the delusional fools face, Akane just knew what was going through the perverts mind and she felt herself fill with the anger that she had been denying a place all morning.

Hearing Kuno refer to his fiancé as the jerk's wife was nearly enough to break Ranma's control over his emotions. Only a lifetime of listening to Pop's insults allowing him to maintain discipline.

Unlike Akane, Ranma understood exactly what Nabiki meant when she warned them yesterday that Kuno now believed them to be married to him.

Ranma would never forget the way Kuno had grabbed his girl form during Saturday's wedding attempt. The way his hands had taken hold of her body, touching her in places she never intended to share with any man, ever. At the time he had declared his intention to marry her then and there and Ranma had no difficulty what so ever believing that the fool convinced himself that it had actually happened.

Normally Ranma wouldn't sweat a fight with Kuno, but the daft swordsman caused enough collateral damage with a wooden bokken, there was no telling what he would do now with steel in his hands. So he backed off letting Kuno believe he was being driven before his blade.

Like Ryouga, Kuno never accepts any responsibility for the innocent bystanders endangered or hurt during one of his attacks so he never gives any thought to the collateral damage that might result. Instead it was always up to Ranma to control the fight, limiting the harm the older boy might cause by putting himself at risk and he was tired of it.

The morning attacks on Akane had proven that no one in authority was going to do anything to reign in the arrogant braggart, but Ranma had little doubt they would act against him if he seriously injured the fool. How to stop someone who is too deluded to control himself without getting in trouble yourself, that's what he needed to figure out. If only he had some of the Amazon 411 shampoo, he could make Kuno forget Akane and the pig tailed girl ever existed. Then he would leave them alone.

While Ranma was contemplating how to win an unending battle, Akane was falling victim to the stoking fires of rage. When she first came to high school she had been so excited. She looked forward to making new friends, wearing a girls school uniform, to putting her primary school reputation of being a tomboy behind her and starting over. She even looked forward to dating boys.

Kuno had ruined everything. Thanks to the morning assaults, forcing her to fight where the whole school could see, he reinforced everyone's image of her as a tomboy in spite of the way she dressed. By inciting the other boys to attack her he destroyed any chance she had of trusting one enough to date him. Worst of all, the anger and frustration she felt kept her temper on a hair trigger. While her fear of what could happen if she ever lost lead her to grow increasingly violent. By singling her out for his attentions, Kuno had managed to isolate her from almost everyone. Even so much of the difficulty she had in her relationship with Ranma, she realized, could be laid at the kendoist's feet.

With unflinching clarity, she realized exactly how she felt about Tatewaki Kuno.

"Kuno!" She screamed, "I hate you!"

Her muscles driven by rage, she struck the shocked teenager over the head with her book bag, destroying the bag and leaving him face down in the dirt.

Thanks to Kuno, Ranma and Akane arrived late to class.

When they entered their homeroom everyone fell silent and just stared. Everyone except their teacher Ms. Hinako and Ranma's friend Daisuke that is.

Ms. Hinako was seated behind her desk reading a confiscated manga, one of Daisuke's. To his regret, Dai was a true teenage pervert and the manga was one of his Sailor Moon 'specials'. As she read it the child like teacher had a look of confusion on her face, but Dai knew that once she drained a delinquent student and reverted to her adult form, he was in serious trouble. His only hope was that something would distract her first and she would forget who she took it from.

As for Ranma and Akane, everyone else quietly watched them make their way to their seats. They all wanted to, but no one dared say anything about the wedding.

With the exception of the resident chaos magnet and those unfortunate enough to be caught up in his orbit, Nerima was a quiet ward, so the other students avidly watched the comings and goings at the Tendo home.

Ranma scowled as they made their way to their desks. Akane was so embarrassed that without meaning to, she was hiding behind her fiancé. Finally they claimed their seats and joined the other students in waiting for Ms. Hinako to start class.

Tired, Ranma had just laid his head down on his desk to catch a few winks when an administrative aid entered the room. A third year student, the girl had signed up to be an aid under the mistaken belief that it would be an easy way to earn credit and advance her academic career. She hadn't counted on the kooky headmaster returning, she like the rest of the students didn't even know he existed. Now she had a lei around her neck, really short hair and a glazed look in her eyes. On the plus side, all of the coconut milk was good for her complexion.

Approaching the distracted teacher's desk, the poor girl was so dazed she didn't realize how much danger she was in.

"Ms. Hinako, I…"

"Delinquent! Happo five yen jutsu!"

With Hinako's cry of delinquent the aid suddenly realized where she was and more importantly, what was about to happen to her. It would have been better for her if she had remained ignorant. With as out of it has she had been the technique probably wouldn't have worked on her, but the momentary spike of fear gave it something to latch onto. She fluttered listlessly to the floor, the papers she had been holding out for Ms. Hinako instead landing on her desk.

Now an adult, Ms. Hinako picked up and examined them.

"Akane Tendo, Ranma Saotome, you are being summoned to the headmaster's office. Miss Tendo, would you please wake up Mr. Saotome."

Looking down at the girl lying on the floor in front of her desk like she had just barely realized she was there, Ms. Hinako went on to add "Oh, and would you convey this poor girl to the nurses station on your way? I do wish Headmaster Kuno wouldn't work the children so hard."

Akane had just lead Ranma, who was carrying the aid, out of the classroom and Daisuke released a sigh of relief that he had been forgotten. He was a little premature.

"Mr. Daisuke, if you would come up to my desk, I would like you to explain this manga to me."

With a dark cloud of gloom hanging over his head, Dai made his way to the front of the room wondering how he was going to explain to the gorgeous Ms. Hinako, in her undersized skirt and tight blouse, why a hormonally driven teenage boy would be looking at a dirty comic about pretty sailor suited soldiers of love and justice before class. 'There is no way…' he thought to himself, 'that this could get any worse'.

This seemed to be Dai's day for premature… well, for coming to the wrong conclusion too soon.

The spike of fear that Hinako drained from the unfortunate office girl was much weaker than the auras of lust, anger or battle that she normally absorbed and didn't fuel her change for very long.

Dai was just beginning his explanation, when Ms. Hinako reverted to a child like state. There, in front of the entire class, Dai found himself explaining the birds and the bees to his curious teacher. All with the help of the comics very colorful visual aids.

'Please Kami, strike me down now!'

Ranma and Akane had delivered the aid to the caring arms of the school nurse and were now seated in the faux Hawaii that was Headmaster Kuno's office. If the ridiculous trappings weren't bad enough, the man's fake accent would try the patience of a saint. Let's not even discuss the tiny palm tree on his head.

"Well keikis, look like you bin on big aloha vacation durin de school year, yeah. Now der bein big trouble with you attendin record."

The keikis in question gave the headmaster confused looks.

"Sounds like you have bigger school problems than me pineapple head." Ranma said, "You talk even worse than I do."

"Now wittle brudda, der no need fo' bein so rude no."

Headmaster Kuno turned from giving malevolent looks at Ranma's pig tail, to give a big islands smile to Akane.

"`Ey little waihine, me hear you be maryin me wittle Tatchi. Dat so?"

It took Akane a moment to figure out he was asking her if she was going to marry Tatewaki Kuno, but once she did all of the anger and resentment from two years of putting up with Kuno insanity came roaring back.

"No! I will never date much less marry that pervert! Why I… I would rather marry Shampoo and she's a girl!"

"Dat so? Me ne'er be noin de waihine swing dat way. Maybe de waihine wan me wittle Datchi den?"

Akane was livid. This pervert was asking her if she wanted to marry his daughter Kodachi.

"Listen here you jerk! I will never marry a Kuno! Not your son! Not your daughter! Not you or your grandfather! If I never see another Kuno again it will be too soon!"

After this morning Akane wasn't holding anything back.

The principle wiped away fake tears.

"Why dat too bad. Me wittle Tatchi be so upset wen he hear keikis no be tendin Furinkan no more."

"What!" They both yelled at the same time.

The headmaster tried to look pious.

"Mesa sorry. De keikis miss way too many classes. No can pass de year with dat. Now if'n we bein in Havahi', kiekies be getting second chance, but no, we is in Japans. Here rules say, no attend, no pass, no continue in school."

Now he gave them a big, friendly, brain dead smile.

"Don be worryin' none kiekis, you still get jobs. Why wahine, me Tatchi can always use new maid. Me put in good word fo' you. No hard feelins', no?"

There were no hard feelings. In fact, by the time Ranma and Akane left the Headmaster's office, he wasn't feeling a thing and wouldn't for several hours. After that, nothing but pain.

After sharing their feelings with the headmaster, Ranma and Akane left for home. After all, if Kuno wasn't going to let them pass this grade, there was no reason to endure the rest of this miserable day.

After entering through the front gate of the Tendo compound, Ranma peeled off through the side gate by the door. The one that gave access to the side yard and the dojo.

"Ranma?" Akane inquired. Her voice was quiet, carrying a note of despair.

He turned his head, looking over his shoulder.

"I'm going to work out in the dojo. If were not going to be wasting any more time at school, I guess there won't be anymore distractions from the art."

There was a hard edge of anger to his voice and she knew that despite his words, he was upset too.

"Akane."

"Ranma?"

"If we're … if we're both going to compete in the tournament, you should get some practice too."

Akane gave him a tentative smile.

"Sure Ranma, I'll join you after I change."

Ranma responded with a half smirk, then disappeared beyond the fence.

Stepping through the door Akane paused in the ghenkan to exchange her shoes for a soft pair of house slippers, then headed up the stairs to her room.

Kasumi was outside hanging laundry when she saw Ranma make his way across the yard and into the dojo. For him to come home so early from school two days in a row was too much for her to take in stride. No, something bad must be going on at school and she was willing to bet it involved a certain delusional rich jerk. Also, if today was like yesterday then Ranma hadn't come home alone. She knew that Ranma used practicing his kata as a way of dealing with his emotions, especially when he was troubled or upset.

Nabiki dealt with hers by taking it out on someone else, or at least their money.

Her baby sister Akane though, she usually bottled hers up until someone had the misfortune of pushing her over the edge, causing her to blow up. Not the best way of dealing with her problems.

Picking up the still half full laundry basket, Kasumi entered the house and leaving the basket on the hallway table next to the phone, she proceeded upstairs to check on her sisters.

First she tried Nabiki's room, hoping her calmer sister could tell her what to expect, and it was on the way. When the room proved empty, apparently whatever happened didn't involve her, Kasumi moved down the hall to the last door, Akane's.

She could hear her baby sister moving about the room, her footsteps striking hard with anger.

Tentatively she knocked. "Akane"

There was a moment of silence from the other side.

"Yes Kasumi?"

Now she knew something was seriously wrong. Akane tried to keep her feelings out of her voice, but she was no better at hiding her emotions than Ranma.

"Can I come in?"

She intended to enter no matter what Akane might say, but she didn't want to force it if she didn't have to.

After a moment of silence, Akane answered in the affirmative.

Her eyes on the yellow duck with her sister's name on it, Kasumi pushed the door open until she could see Akane herself. She was standing next to the bed in only her bra and panties, her eyes puffy and red from the tears sliding down her cheeks. Kasumi noticed the school uniform bundled up into a ball and thrown in the corner, in a not so casual way.

Whatever had happened at school, Akane was very upset and so was her little sister's fiancé. Without saying a word, Kasumi crossed from the door and gathered her little sister into a comforting embrace.

"It's okay Akane, you can tell me what's wrong."

Patting her on the back and whispering comforting words, she waited until her sister was ready to speak.

When several minutes passed with Akane continuing to cling to her desperately, her tears soaking Kasumi's blouse, Kasumi gently guided her little sister until they were both seated together on the edge of her bed.

"What happened Akane? What is wrong?"

"Oh Kasumi, it was … it was headmaster Kuno. He … the headmaster asked me if I was going to … going to marry his son … and when I said no, he asked me if I was a …"

It took Akane a minute to reign in her sobs before she could continue. It was what the Hawaiian freak did next that had really upset her.

"When I said I would never marry that pervert, he asked me if I was a … if I was a lesbian!"

Kasumi held her sister close. Many would accuse the oldest Tendo girl of being out of touch, even oblivious to what went on around her, and though it was true that she had been forced to separate from the normal world of a woman her age to raise her sisters, she still remembered how cruel teenagers could be in school. She had feared that when people learned of Ranma's curse and with his being engaged to Akane, that some would begin to talk about her little sister's preferences. Given Akane's tomboyish ways and the Kuno boy's cruel announcement ensuring that she never had a boyfriend, such talk was bound to happen.

"That's not the worst of it sis."

'What!' Kasumi thought, 'How could it get even worse?'

"After that … after that he told us, that because we missed so many days of class while we were in China,"

Akane released her older sister and ducked her head in shame.

"he told Ranma and I that he wasn't going to let us pass this year. Oh Kasumi! That jerk threw us out of school! The pervert offered to get me a job as their maid!"

Akane's tears were washed away by a wave of anger. Letting go of Kasumi, she leapt to her feet and began to angrily tread back and forth from the bed to the door and back again.

Kasumi was speechless. She had promised her mother that she would take care of her sisters and now Akane wasn't going to finish high school. This couldn't be happening, not after all they had been through!

While Kasumi was struggling to process what her little sister had said, Akane pulled her worn yellow gi from the closet. Quickly pulling it on, she told Kasumi that she was going out to the dojo to work out with 'the baka', then left the room, her feet striking the floor in a staccato rhythm.

After Akane left Kasumi just sat there, frozen in disbelief followed by despair at her failure. Oh how she missed her mother. Missed having someone to turn to when she needed to be held, when she needed support or advice. She knew that in this area her father and only remaining parent was worse than useless. Daddy would only explode into tears, requiring her support instead of offering his own. Besides, what she needed was a mother. So Kasumi decided to grasp hold of the closest thing she had, leaving her sister's room, she went downstairs to the phone in the front hall and dialed.

"Hello, aunt Nodoka, I… we need you."

When Ranma entered what remained of the dojo, he left his shoes on the front step. Then he removed his hat and jacket, tossing them to the side were they passed through one of the many gapping holes in the walls to land on the lawn outside. Still not satisfied, he removed the rest of his school uniform leaving him in only his undershirt and boxers, then gave them the same treatment as the jacket.

Now rid of the hated uniform, not to mention nearly naked, he moved to the center of the dojo and began the first kata he had ever learned. Moving slowly about the floor, he let his mind and body go, embracing the flow of the motions while unconsciously avoiding the holes in the floor. He had nearly found his center, his emotions settling, when he stumbled while passing over one particular mar in the hard wood floor. It wasn't a hole, nor was it blackened by explosive food or fireworks, it was a straight gash, a slash cut into the floor by a steel sword.

"Augh, damn you Kuno!"

Why? Why couldn't the sword waving jerk be satisfied with ruining his wedding? Why did he have to continue to cause Akane pain?

Returning to the center of the floor Ranma began again. This time as he moved about the floor he pretended that it was Kuno who stood at the receiving end of every kick and punch. Instead of helping him to calm down, it was working him up higher and higher until he felt like he was burning up in a funnel of Saffron's flames.

He didn't care about school, what good was knowing the names of dead emperors to a martial artist. Pops had always called it a waste of time, a distraction from the art. So why was he so angry over being kicked out? Was it because he hadn't chosen to leave? No. He had never chosen to go in the first place, Pops had forced it on him since they were going to be staying here. No, Ranma didn't care about school. That wasn't what was bothering him. Akane was the one who cared, who worked hard to get good grades, who tried so hard, who wanted to graduate. Ranma realized the reason he was angry was because they had taken it from her. They had stolen the smile from her face, had stolen it from him!

He was so caught up in his anger that he didn't even realize he had stopped and was just standing there in the middle of the dojo. Didn't realize that Akane had entered the heavily air conditioned structure until she struck him hard in the chest, sending him stumbling.

Looking up in pain and surprise, he saw her there, tears running down her cheeks, her body shaking with pain and anger. She didn't give him a chance to look for long. With incredible speed she charged to the attack, throwing kicks and punches too fast for most to see.

"Fight me Ranma!" She yelled. "Fight me for real!"

Seeing the pain and tears in her brown eyes did what his katas could not, it extinguished the flame of his own anger.

At first he did try to dodge, but she was striking so hard, was so out of control in her anguish that he realized if he did she would likely tumble and possibly hurt herself. So instead he blocked, some blows he even took, absorbing the force and blocking out the pain. At the same time he did his best to maneuver her around the holes and weak spots that littered the floor. Soon, out of necessity, he led her out of the dojo and into the yard.

Akane continued her relentless attack, chasing him the entire length of the compound as they passed between the house and the rear wall. She had pushed herself past her limits, but was so worked up she couldn't stop. Since they were now on the other side of the house, eventually the inevitable happened. Akane threw everything she had into a punch aimed straight at Ranma's face. Her lead foot caught on the edge of one of the stepping stones leading away from the house. Seeing that she was going to fall face forward on the rocks surrounding the koi pond, Ranma lunged to catch her. Unfortunately, being pursued around the grounds by an out of control tomboy had left him battered and tired as well. He mistimed his move and though he did save her from landing on the rocks, they both fell headfirst into the pond.

The shock of the cold water flowing into her mouth and nose was enough to rattle Akane out of her desperate rage, restoring her self control. While in the case of her pig tailed fiancé, the results were predictable.

Akane felt arms around her, a hand patting her on the back, helping drive the water from her lungs. When sense returned to her she found that she was half lying, half sitting in the koi pond, her cheek resting against her fiancé's chest. For a moment she was content to remain that way, resting to regain her strength. She could hear Ranma's heartbeat, feel the wet cotton of his undershirt against her cheek. Then she felt something poking that cheek through the thin material, something small and hard. With a start she realized that it wasn't Ranma's chest she was laying against, but Ranma-Chan's. Her face was sandwiched within the red heads ample cleavage, the nipple of the left breast was what she felt poking her, while the nipple of the right was prominently displayed before her eyes. The wet fabric of the t-shirt left nothing to the imagination, not even the color. All sense of comfort fled her as she realized that she had been nuzzling her fiancé's, another girl's breasts. Wounds still fresh with shame from what the headmaster had asked, Akane shoved her fiancé away hard. She blindly scrambled out of the pond and fled into the house.

Ranma sat in the cold water of the pond, causing goose bumps to rise on her flesh. Watching her fiancée flee from her presence after being pushed away so violently filled her with a pain far worse than any of the bruises left by Akane's kicks and punches. For once Ranma was glad she was in the koi pond, with the water running down her face even she couldn't tell for sure if there were tears there as well.

When Nodoka arrived at the Tendo home, she found Kasumi waiting for her at the gate. The normally unflappable matriarch of the house was clearly agitated. The unmistakable relief on the young woman's face when she saw her both warmed Nodoka's heart and sent chills down her back. On the one hand it felt good to be needed. The way Kasumi was looking to her for advice and support made her feel like she was part of something, something she had lost ten years ago, a family.

The chills came because she knew how strong Kasumi was. The young woman was the rock upon which the Tendo family was built. With little support from the Tendo patriarch Kasumi had maintained her family through lose, despair, strife and events that would break most men. Even the arrival of Genma and Ranma and all of the chaos that followed hadn't been enough to shake her. Anything that upset the strong young women this much had to be bad, end of the world bad.

Without hesitation Nodoka took her in a comforting embrace, which Kasumi returned with desperate intensity.

"Oh aunty!" she cried, "I've failed! Mother trusted me to take care of them and I failed!"

The Saotome matriarch found herself holding a raggedly weeping girl at her strength's end. Keeping a firm reign on her own fears, she asked her in a firm, comforting voice

"Kasumi, is anyone hurt or in danger?"

She couldn't contain a shudder of relief when Kasumi shook her head no.

"Well then, what do you say we go into the kitchen and have a nice cup of tea. You can tell me what has happened and I'm sure that together we can make it right, okay?"

Not giving the younger woman a chance to respond, Nodoka guided her into the house.

Pausing for a moment in the ghenkan to exchange their shoes for slippers, the two women made their way to the kitchen, Kasumi still leaning on Nodoka for support.

When they passed the open entry to the dinning room, Nodoka could see Soun and Genma in their usual place, playing shoji without a care in the world. Knowing that Soun would respond to any problems in the family with an eruption of tears, she realized that Kasumi must not have told the fathers yet. While she was disappointed that the two men were doing nothing to help the family, she also took it as a good sign. If anything truly dreadful had happened then surely Kasumi wouldn't be keeping it from her father. It could only mean that whatever had happened, she still hoped Nodoka could fix it.

Soon the women were in the kitchen, door closed securely behind them, sitting down to a cup of tea.

It seemed to help as soon Kasumi stopped crying, her voice was steady if lacking its usually pleasant tone.

"Now then Kasumi dear, what is the problem?"

Kasumi took a moment to order her thoughts, sipping her tea to buy time.

"Aunty, this morning Akane and Ranma returned home soon after school started. They were both very upset."

She put down her cup, her hands had begun to shake again with the strength of her emotions. Seeing this, Nodoka reached out and took them in her own. With a gentle squeeze and a warm smile she shared her strength with the younger woman. Kasumi gave a small smile of her own in gratitude. If felt so wonderful to have someone she could turn to when it all just became too much to bare.

"I asked Akane what had happened. She told me that they had been summoned to the headmaster's office. She said that Headmaster Kuno asked her if she was going to marry his bastard of a son. When she told him no, she said he insulted her and then using the excuse of their recent absence to China, he threw them out of school."

Her voice quavered and broke as she finished.

"Aunty, I promised mother I would take care of my sisters, but if Akane doesn't finish high school she won't be able to attend a college. What do I do aunty? My little sister's future is being destroyed and I don't know what to do."

Nodoka now understood why Kasumi was so upset. Her promise to care for her sisters had become the focus of her entire being. If she failed in that promise, even in the smallest way, then it would invalidate her entire existence. She knew that Kasumi loved her family more than anything. She had put her own life on indefinite hold to care for them and anything that hurt them held twice the sting for her.

She gave Kasumi her most reassuring smile.

"Don't worry dear, being expelled from Furinkan, though troubling, is not the end of the world. In fact, given the way poor Akane has been treated there, it might even be a good thing."

"But aunty, if she is expelled from Furinkan then no other school will take her and without a high school diploma she will never get into college."

"Nonsense." Nodoka responded with a dismissive wave. "Another high school will accept her and Ranma, with the proper incentive."

Kasumi wasn't sure the older woman understood the situation.

"What incentive aunty? We don't have enough money to carry us through the month, much less enough to buy their way into a private school."

"Money isn't everything dear. In fact this tournament might just be the thing. Not only will it provide us with money as we planned, but it will bring Akane and Ranma to the attention of all the right people."

Nodoka held Kasumi's eyes with her own.

"Kasumi, I know that neither you nor your sister Nabiki place that much importance upon the art, and I agree that there are other things that are much more important, but don't underestimate how important it is to others. A tournament such as this will have the eye of people who can prove very helpful in getting our children into another school, one much better than Furinkan for them."

She gave her a warm smile, patting her hand, letting her know that everything was going to be fine.

"Why don't you go speak to Akane again and tell her what we've discussed. Let her know that she still has a chance to graduate from high school, all while escaping the madness of the Kunos."

Kasumi suddenly hugged her, a smile spreading across her face.

"Thank you aunty. I don't know how I could have faced this without your help."

That said, Kasumi rushed from the room to go comfort her little sister.

Left alone in the kitchen, Nodoka basked in the fading warmth of Kasumi's embrace. It warmed her to know that she could help the younger woman and her family.

Now, to find her son.

Nabiki came home from school in a definite hurry, but she didn't run. During lunch she had been approached by Akane's friends, Yuka and Sayuri. They wanted to know what happened to Akane or even Ranma.

Nabiki, to her annoyance, didn't know.

Until the girls asked she didn't even know that her little sister and her fiancé hadn't been in class all morning. The only thing Nabiki hated more than not knowing what was going on in her sphere of influence, was having to admit not knowing. So after the disappointed girls went their way, she made hers to the office of the headmaster's secretary.

The old woman claimed ignorance. All she would say was that Headmaster Kuno had summoned them to his office during first hour, they were in his office for only a few minutes and then left angry. She said she hadn't heard anything about it from the headmaster. She hadn't in fact heard anything from the headmaster since and she wasn't about to jinx it by seeking him out first.

Now Nabiki was heading home, anxious to get the news straight from the horses mouth, or preferably from Kasumi. Stopping in the Ghenkan to exchange her shoes, she called out "I'm home!". To hear Kasumi's reply of welcome from the kitchen, as normal. What wasn't normal was the strained cheerfulness in her sister's voice. If Kasumi was upset then something momentously bad must have happened.

Making her way into the kitchen Nabiki saw something that had her even more worried. Kasumi wasn't alone and it wasn't just aunt Nodoka that was helping her. Nabiki felt her stomach lurch at the sight of Akane helping prepare the evening meal. She almost didn't notice the signs that both of her sisters were upset, her mind being more occupied with finding an acceptable excuse for why she wasn't going to be home for dinner. Nothing was coming to mind and she really hated not knowing.

Aunt Nodoka stepped between her and Akane, neatly blocking her from view.

"Nabiki dear, dinner is almost ready. You should go change before we eat."

She then proceeded to gently push her out of the kitchen.

Seeing the anger still flickering in her baby sister's eyes, she decided to wait and ask Kasumi when they were alone. She did not want to be the target of Akane's wrath if the news was as bad as she was starting to suspect.

Deciding to bide her time, she went up to her room to change and seek information through alternate avenues of investigation. She was going to hack the school's computer.

Nabiki Tendo was extremely good at two things; coercing people into doing what she wanted and gathering information. Each led to the other, whether she was using the information she had gathered to induce someone's cooperation, or she was tricking them into giving her information.

In this case her dupe was one Jiro Arai, an assistant to old man Watanabe, the history teacher who from the look of him had lived through most of his subject.

Like so many older people Mr. Watanabe was extremely resistant to learning new things, kind of fitting for a teacher of history, and so he left all of his computer work to Jiro. Because of this, Jiro had the teacher's pass codes for the school's entire network. While this didn't allow enough access to make many changes to past records, though it would allow someone to change recent grades ( entering grades was Jiro's job after all ), it did allow access to all but the most confidential student files. Nabiki used her pass codes sparingly, they were worth too much to risk through excess or abuse.

The computer booted up while she dressed and now wearing white cotton shorts and a yellow t-shirt adorned with the words 'Shadow Rabbit', complete with the black figure of a rabbit, she started the process of hiding herself behind other nodes on the network.

Her first stop was Tatewaki Kuno's personal home computer. His system was top of the line, one could expect no less from a Kuno, but she held serious doubts that he knew how to use it.

She was in fact fairly confident that he didn't because of how he responded when she once offered to send him digital photos by E-mail. Kuno had given her a look that said 'I have no idea what your talking about but I'm too proud to show it' and then agreed. So she mailed him printed photos in the post and charged him extra on the grounds that they were digital. Instead of complaining about her perfidious dealings, he had simply requested that she return to delivering them in person and continued to pay her extra for their being digital. Enough extra that she was able to buy a digital camera.

The next step on the daisy chain was a public access computer at the local chapter of the Tokyo Metropolitan Library. From there she went straight to the school's computer. Normally she wouldn't trust the security of a chain only two links long, but a longer chain slowed down her access and she felt confident that no one would look any further than the Kuno's.

She knew beyond the shadow of a doubt that no one from the Kuno household would ever check. One of her side ventures in business was the creation of her very own internet porn site 'Happi Ladies'. The only images on the site were picturesque ocean scenes and a couple of beaches, but the site had only one member and he didn't even know it existed. Namely one Tatewaki Kuno, who's computer regularly visited thanks to a little Trojan she had downloaded onto it once while 'helping out' ( she had put on a screen saver that flashed through images of the pig tailed girl mixed with a few pictures of Akane that she deemed safe, probably the only use to which Kuno would ever put it. It also insured that the computer was never turned off. ). The Kuno Estate accountant knew Tatewaki was a first class pervert and paid the bill every month without question.

She had just entered the school's network when she heard a soft knocking at her door.

"Come in." She called after switching her computer over to a second window, hiding her current activity.

To her happy surprise Kasumi was the one to enter.

"Nabiki, we need to talk about what is happening to Akane."

She had Nabiki's undivided attention.

"Sure sis, what new tragedy has struck our baby sister?"

Kasumi sat down on the bed.

"Today Headmaster Kuno summoned Akane and Ranma to his office."

Nabiki was chewing her tongue in impatience, she already knew this part.

"Akane told me that when they arrived, he asked her if she was going to marry his son and when she said no, he insinuated that she was a …" Kasumi leaned in closer and whispered the next word "…lesbian."

"He said what?!" Nabiki wondered if Headmaster Kuno was still alive. If he really said that to her little sister, she doubted he walked away unscathed. The secretary's claim that she hadn't heard from him since the two left his office now seemed very credible.

Kasumi was wearing a pained expression and nodding.

"Then he told them that because of their recent absence, he was expelling them from Furinkan."

Then Nabiki was witness to one of the rarest sights of all time, anger was showing on her sister's face. She took such expressions from Akane for granted , but she couldn't recall ever seeing such on Kasumi.

Nabiki turned back to her computer and no longer caring if her prude of a sister saw what she was doing, she pulled up the school records for Akane.

The secretary had recorded her summons to the headmaster's office, but that was it. She then pulled up Ranma's, there after the record of his summons, was the paperwork for having him expelled. The school computer had recorded the time and date of filing and it wasn't for Tuesday or even Monday, it was Saturday afternoon. She felt a twinge of guilt when she saw the time stamp, it was filed within an hour of her telling Kuno baby about the wedding.

Kasumi was reading over her shoulder.

"What does this mean Nabiki? Has he expelled Ranma but not Akane?"

Nabiki gave a terse nod.

Kasumi couldn't keep the elation from her voice, maybe she hadn't failed after all.

"Then Akane can still attend school and graduate!"

Nabiki hated to burst her sister's bubble, also she was a little surprised that Kasumi seemed to have forgotten that Ranma had in fact been expelled.

"Akane hasn't been expelled, yet." Nabiki said in a tight voice, "But she can't go back to Furinkan."

Kasumi couldn't have heard that last part right.

"If she hasn't been expelled then why can't she graduate from Furinkan?"

Nabiki gave her sister a piercing stare. She knew her sister wasn't stupid but sometimes she could be almost as naïve as Ranma.

"Kasumi, Ranma has been expelled. Add that to what the loon said to Akane, he is getting rid of the competition."

The quizzical look Kasumi was giving her confirmed that she still didn't understand where she was going with this.

"Kasumi, Headmaster Kuno has decided that Akane is going to marry his son and he's willing to play hardball to see that she does. If she goes back… Kasumi, for the last two days Kuno has met Ranma at the school gates with a real, honest to kami sword. Not a wooden bokken, but a sharp steel blade."

Here she pulled several pictures out of an envelope in her desk drawer. They looked like scenes from a Thousand and One Arabian Nights the porno, complete with silk veils and throw pillows.

"He has had the kendo training hall converted into a bedroom where he intends to take our little sister."

She grabbed her sister's hand, hard.

"Kasumi, if we send Akane back to Furinkan without Ranma, Tatewaki Kuno will try to rape her and his loon of a father will make sure no one interferes. Kuno baby may be deluded enough to believe that they are already married, but his father isn't. Daddy does however know that if the Blue Blunder succeeds in taking her virtue, then honor will demand that she marry him. That is why she can't go back."

Mei Lin never thought she would feel this way, but she was sick of Japan. There wasn't anything wrong with the island nation, rather it was her task that had her so frustrated. She had been in Nerima for almost two weeks and had yet to successfully recruit a new teacher for the minister.

Her search hadn't been a total blowout, she had in fact found two adepts who fit the minister's requirements, but both had refused her proposal.

That jerk Kumon had even threatened to get physical.

'Hogwarts is a school of international renown,' she thought to herself, 'but these eastern adepts treat the idea of teaching there like an insult, like I am trying to steal from them.'

She was frustrated and quite sick of anything Japanese, which is why she was sitting in this American Sports Bar. True the only thing American about the place was the tacky decor, there wasn't a round eye or naturally blonde head in the place, but at least it wasn't Japanese.

Like any sports bar, this one had more monitors and television screens then chairs. All showing sporting events, many from America, advertising upcoming events or displaying gambling information.

She wasn't a big fan of muggle sports, they just couldn't compete with a rousing game of Quiditch.

One advertisement did catch her eye, there was going to be a martial arts tournament in Shinjuku in two days. It was the first in a series of events the JKA ( Japanese Karate Association ) was holding all over Japan. These tournaments would eventually determine the nation's Olympic team.

Even so, she knew she wouldn't find a true adept competing. The eastern masters are just has arrogant as their western counterparts when it came to muggles and didn't get involved in the art of the touki-rui, their term for muggles. Though both forms were rooted in the same art, they considered the non-magical versions to be pale shadows of the real thing. Right now that made this tournament all the more appealing. She desperately needed a break.

Having spent most of her childhood in Hong Kong, Mei Lin had grown up surrounded by the muggle arts. She herself had studied Kung Fu and fencing under muggle masters. To say she was a fan was something of an understatement. Yes, she would attend the tournament. Perhaps it would help remind her why she had been so excited to receive this assignment in the first place.

At least it would be a break from her frustrating search.

For Ranma and Akane the week following their expulsion from Furinkan seemed to go by painfully slow. Instead of going to school, they spent their days practicing for the tournament.

This meant that Akane trained to fill in the holes in her defenses, while Ranma worked to tone down his own flamboyant style. It wouldn't do to be seen leaping fifteen feet in the air, or throwing punches at superhuman speeds. They needed to win the money, but they didn't want to embarrass their art by drawing too much attention.

While they trained their fathers would watch, often joined by Nodoka and Kasumi in between chores. The fathers often offered surprisingly good advice, while the disapproving eye of Nodoka kept Ranma from treating Akane's training too lightly.

Akane had improved more in the last week then in the previous five years. She found it extremely exhilarating, while growing more annoyed then ever at how much time her father had wasted by not training her more strenuously.

She would have considered it one of the best weeks of her life if not for Ranma. Yes he trained with her seriously, not just dodging her attacks, but outside of sparing he seemed to be avoiding her. Even when they were together he wouldn't look her in the eye, always darting away when she tried to enforce eye contact. If she tried to initiate any conversation that didn't involve him instructing her, he would answer in single syllables and then leave at the first opportunity.

What was wrong with the baka? She didn't think the coming tournament was the cause, and she knew it wasn't getting kicked out of school. She figured Ranma was probably enjoying that part, he never thought much of school and with a father like Genma, who could blame him. No, something was bothering him and she couldn't for the life of her figure out what.

Maybe it was because of Shampoo or Ukyou.

The Chinese amazons, according to the sign on their café door, had returned to China but expected to return in a few weeks.

As for Ukyou, she hadn't left a note but Konatsu was still staying at Uchan's and the cross dresser told them that his mistress had gone home to speak to her father. He couldn't say how long she would be gone, but he made it clear she was very sorry for what she did at the wedding. He told Akane that when Ukyou found out about the wedding she had first sunk into despair and then exploded in a manic frenzy, desperate to stop it.

Akane wasn't sure how Ranma felt about his Chinese bride, she was pretty sure the pervert enjoyed the way the harlot threw herself at him.

Ukyou, she was Ranma's oldest friend and her absence had to be affecting him. Akane liked Ukyou, often thought they could be friends too if not for their conflicting engagements. If hearing about the Okinomiyaki chef's pain hurt her, she could only imagine what it was doing to Ranma.

Saturday morning found the extended Tendo/Saotome clan riding an early morning train from Nerima to Shinjuku. The tournament was being hosted by the Waseda University karate club at the university and sign in ended at ten in the morning.

Genma sat against the window, softly snoring.

Soun sat with an uncharacteristic stiffness to his posture, occasionally fidgeting. They hadn't even arrived at the tournament and he was already embarrassed to be involved.

Nabiki, in the simplest terms she could find, was explaining to Ranma what he needed to do to drive up the betting.

Of everyone there, only Nodoka, Kasumi and Akane were honestly excited to be going to the tournament.

Being a large university and one of the most prestigious in Japan, Waseda, sometimes called Sodai, was located near a major rail line expediting their arrival. While this tournament was only one of the early preliminaries leading up to the international contests, it was a JKA sanctioned event and thus had drawn quite a large crowd with competitors from all over Tokyo. The top contenders from this tournament would be invited to compete against artists from ever larger areas, until the best of the nation had been separated out. Being a first tier contest, this tournament was open to all comers so the line of those waiting to pay their entrance fee included untested newcomers. People who didn't really expect to win, but were here to get their feet wet and hopefully be noticed as an up and comer of the future.

Nabiki, Soun and Genma had left the others at the train station. A little research had clued the middle Tendo in that most of the serious betting would not be taking place at the university, but at a downtown bar. So after making sure Ranma understood what was required of him and assuring that Nodoka had a cell phone on which Nabiki could call in further instructions, she and the fathers boarded another train.

Soun and Genma were supposedly going along to protect her and the money she carried, especially important since it was all that they had. In truth, while their protection was welcomed as long as they stayed out of the way, they were really going to avoid being seen at the touki-rui tournament. Not to mention that they were always happy to spend quality time at a bar were the bartender didn't know them yet.

The rest of the women, including Ranma-Chan who had gotten wet when passing a drinking fountain that had suddenly blown its spout becoming a true fountain, made their way across campus to the school's sports facilities. They had brought several insulated thermoses filled with hot water just in case, but until Ranma's clothes managed to dry out any attempts to change him back would be futile.

Being impatient, Ranma grasped the hem of her shirt preparatory to wringing the garment out, but her mother stopped her before it cleared her belly button. Even so, she had already managed to attract the attention of several college students who were walking by.

"Ranma!" she said in exasperation, "It is never appropriate for a young lady to disrobe in public."

"But mom, I was just trying to wring out all this water. Its not like I can register as a girl ya' know."

Akane couldn't resist getting in a little dig at her fiancé's expense.

"Yea aunty, besides if Ranma attracts the attention of the more manly college students, they might invite her to one of those parties they talked so much about on the news. I'm sure some of these perverts would be more than happy to make a real woman out of her."

"Akane!" Nodoka said, her voice ringing with disapproval. "There are some things that a truly manly gentleman does not do, ever, and that includes waiting in line to impress a woman."

Akane face faulted when Nodoka followed that statement up with

"A truly manly young man seduces a young lady all on his own, and he never shares his triumph with his drunk and sweaty friends."

( Google Shinichirō Wada if you don't know what Akane is talking about. )

The Saotome matriarch's disapproving eyes had come to rest on Ranma-Chan, causing the red head to hyperventilate. Was her mother insinuating that she should be out seducing young women? Or worse, was she hinting that has a young woman, she should be the one being seduced?

Sometimes Ranma really worried about her mother's fixation on activities that might end in the birth of grandchildren. Ranma got nervous enough thinking about fathering a child. There was no way anyone would ever convince her to be the mother of one. She may be willing to flirt with a man for extra treats, but she would die before she would do that with a man.

By the time they reached the gymnasium the warm spring morning had dried Ranma's shirt sufficiently to allow him to change back. After which he removed his shirt to wring the excess water out. Several passing girls paused to admire his muscular chest and torso.

Ranma was too oblivious to notice.

Akane did notice and had to bite down tight on her jealousy and anger.

Nodoka was also aware of the attention her son was attracting and it filled her with a mother's pride.

'My son is so manly!'

Witnessing Akane's jealousy, she was reassured that she would not be an old woman before the two provided her with grandchildren.

After a brief wait in line, they were able to enroll with no difficulty. Both Ranma and Akane declared themselves to be black belts in Kempo Karate, Nabiki felt that would cause them less difficulty, while Soun and Genma insisted that their true school's name not be used.

The morning matches proved easy with the weakest and most inexperienced fighters being weeded out. Ranma was careful not to appear too good and even Akane found it unnecessary to show any sign of what she could really do.

At the bar the morning betting had been very light, most of the serious betters watching to gain a measure of the fighters. Nabiki was relieved that Ranma had managed to hide his skill without looking like he was holding back too much. After the morning's showing, she was hopeful of making money not only on Ranma, but also Akane in the women's division.

The fathers quickly grew bored with the less than stellar displays of skill and were now seated before a different screen, one showing a baseball game in Cuba. Nabiki had finally given in and given them some betting money of their own. She knew she would never see it again for whatever they didn't lose they would surely drink away, but it was worth it to get them off her back. She was sure that if they had continued to breath down her neck when the real betting started, Genma would make some stupid remark that would greatly reduce her ability to lay profitable wagers.

At noon Yasunori Ono, acting on behalf of the Karate Club, called break for lunch announcing that the tournament would resume at one thirty.

Finding a quiet corner, Kasumi produced several bento lunches. Akane couldn't contain the excitement she felt at competing. Even Ranma was in a good mood. At least he was until Nabiki called to remind him of the part he was to play in the second half.

When the competitors reconvened after lunch things became much more interesting. The morning had been spent winnowing out all but the strongest fighters who were now free to test their might against each other. For Ranma and Akane this meant they now faced opponents of skill and experience, if lacking in true power. For Nabiki, this meant she could now engage in some serious betting.

Mei Lin had spent the morning carousing with the contestants and spectators at the tournament. It felt good to be treated like a real martial artist again after two weeks of being looked down on by adepts. She regretted not signing up herself, she would have enjoyed the exercise.

She felt the excitement build as the afternoon wore on. With each passing hour more and more contestants fell out of the race, leaving only the best behind and with fewer and fewer opponents left to fight the number of simultaneous contests were reduced until now there was only one match going at a time. The women's and men's divisions taking turns on the center mat.

It was the women's division that currently held the floor. The contestants were a college student from nearby Bunkyo, and a high school student from Nerima of all places. Mei Lin didn't give the Nerima connection much thought. She had seen this girl fight once before, earlier that morning and while skilled nothing about the girl had really made her stand out. Now though the individual skill levels of the fighters were much higher, forcing them to push themselves harder to win. The speed of the black haired teenager seemed to jump, greatly improving over what Mei Lin had witnessed in the earlier match. A sneaky suspicion began to grow in the Auror's mind, but the match ended before she could confirm it. She vowed to pay more attention to the girl's next match.

For Ranma the morning had been wonderfully relaxing, but the afternoon was proving much better. As long as he kept his chi out of the equation, keeping the match one of only martial art skill, his opponents were now beginning to push him. Not using his chi left the matches less then satisfying, but not once having his opponent try to kill, marry or accuse him of cheating with black sorcery more than made up the difference. When the time came for his next match he spotted his mother on the phone. He watched until after she hung up and held up two fingers, signaling him to end the match in less than two minutes. At last the betting was getting fierce.

At the bar the gambling had finally gotten heated. The early betting had been profitable enough, but now that their opponents were getting better the amount of money exchanging hands had increased dramatically. Quite a bit of that money ended up in the hands of Nabiki Tendo. Now her marks were taking her seriously, the odds they gave against Ranma and even Akane had evened out a long time ago and were now swinging in the other direction. It was time to shift them back. So she called aunt Nodoka and told her that Ranma had to win the next match in under two minutes. The addition of that handicap raised the odds appreciably. When he finished the match with fifteen seconds to spare even that dried up.

The time came for Akane's last match and she found herself paired against a girl eight years her senior. She had watched the older woman's previous rounds and had seen signs of at least three different styles including Jujitsu, so she wasn't surprised when the other girl didn't rush her after the referee signaled the beginning of the match. Jujitsu is a defensive style designed to turn an opponents aggression and strength against them. It has been said that it would be impossible for two people to compete against each other with Jujitsu because neither would attack. In the past when Ranma had waited, refusing to attack first Akane had taken it has an insult to her ability as an artist, now in this woman she saw it as a compliment. The other girl's caution was a recognition of her own skill.

In the beginning her opponents strategy proved successful and the first point was against Akane. The Tendo girl refused to allow the match to drag out into an embarrassing stalemate where neither opponent moved to attack. Throughout the day she, like Ranma, had been limiting her use of chi, but for her last round she decided to call on it full force. Charged up, her aura almost visible, she moved against her opponent with blistering speed.

After the first point went against her sister, Nabiki suddenly found several men who were offering good odds against her younger sibling. Though tempted, Nabiki was going to refuse those bets. She wasn't too confident that Akane could win. To her surprise she suddenly found both her father and Genma flanking her, their eyes on the match.

It was Genma who announced they would take those bets, his voice grave and dignified.

Panicking, Nabiki looked to her father for support but was again surprised when with a nod he supported his friend's statement. So Nabiki took the bets and when her little sister suddenly became a blur of activity ending in victory over her opponent, Nabiki racked in the cash with a predatory grin.

When the teenager from Nerima took the mat for the last time, Mei Lin brought what appeared to be an antique compass out of her pocket. When she opened the lid it exposed a face with strange markings around the dial. At first the dial refused to respond, but just before Akane's final attack it jumped into activity, now pointing directly at the black haired teenager. Mei Lin couldn't contain an excited grin when she realized that here, among the touki-rui were she least expected it, she had found an adept. Perhaps the girls participation in the event signaled a greater willingness to listen to Mei Lin's proposal. She watched carefully when the winner left the mat, silently making her way through the crowd to come up behind her. She wasn't even paying attention to the last match in the men's division, she was so focused on her target. When she moved close enough she subtly drew forth her wand, which no longer resembled a pen, and whispered the words to a tracing spell, anchoring it to the long bundle carried by the older woman. Having done that, she turned her attention back to the last match only to discover it was already over.

Ranma's last match pushed him hard. His opponent was very skilled and managed to score a point in answer to the pig tailed boy's own, but Ranma still bested him. All without once calling upon the power of his chi.

The betting on Ranma's last match hadn't proved one tenth as profitable as Akane's. By this point, the men at the bar were wary of wagering against the short haired girl in their midst. A lesson they had learned too late.

After the awards ceremony everyone went their separate ways. Ranma and the other women ( sometime during the last matches it had started to rain ) returning to the train station to meet Nabiki and the fathers. Mei Lin called a cab, her hand firmly clenching the silver compass, its needle pointing straight to Nodoka Saotome and her bundle.

Sunday morning Akane awoke with a smile, the same smile that had graced her face since leaving Waseda the evening before. After nearly two frustrating years of living in the shadow of Ranma and those who followed him, her skill and hard work had finally received the recognition she craved. Even better, she could see for herself how much her art had improved after just one week of Ranma taking her workouts serious. Anxious and eager to embrace an exciting new day, she rose early without the aid of an alarm clock. Quickly dressing in her running clothes, she headed down the hall to the guest room.

Since Ranma's father was now staying at his mother's house, though Akane knew he wasn't sleeping in Nodoka's bed, he wasn't there for the boy to spar with in the morning. Instead Ranma had started his mornings by jogging with Akane, followed by a workout in the dojo.

Now that they were no longer attending school, breakfast was instead followed by a return to the dojo and more training until lunch. After they ate, Kasumi would make them pull out their school books and with her help they would spend three hours studying.

At least Akane would study while Ranma complained. Ranma couldn't see the point if they weren't going to graduate, but Kasumi still hoped that Nodoka was right and she didn't want them to have fallen behind when another school accepted them.

Ranma wouldn't bring it up for fear of encouraging his surrogate mother, but since he and Akane had started staying home to study he was actually learning something. Kasumi with Akane's help was proving to be far more effective at motivating him to learn. It also helped that unlike school there were few distractions and no Kunos.

Quietly entering the room she found her fiancé spread out across his futon in a tank top and boxer shorts. At some point he had kicked off the blankets and his top had ridden up, exposing his belly button. Akane paused to admire his washboard stomach. Ranma could be annoying and was often a jerk, but she could certainly understand why all the girls found him so attractive.

She spent several quiet minutes, content to just stand there and admire him, but the outside world intruded in the form of her older sister Kasumi.

"Akane"

The youngest Tendo jumped, she had been so engrossed she hadn't noticed her sister's arrival outside the still open door.

Kasumi didn't even try to hide her smile at the look of affection, and yes desire, that her sister had worn before she interrupted.

"Akane, would you be a dear and get some things from the market for me for breakfast. You can just pick them up on your way back."

"Sure Kasumi, just give me a moment to wake up the baka here."

Akane did her best to cover up her surprise and the blush that was spreading across her face, she was afraid Kasumi knew exactly what she had been feeling when she walked in.

"Thank you Akane." Instead of leaving, she held out a glass to her.

Confusion clear on her face, Akane accepted the glass. It was half full with cold water.

"Kasumi?" she asked.

Kasumi just smiled in amusement.

"That's to wake up Ranma. It has been raining off and on since yesterday evening and knowing Ranma he is certain to get wet at some point this morning. So he might has well start out as a girl, don't you think?"

While Akane could see the logic of that, she was certain Ranma wouldn't.

"Kasumi, I'm sure Ranma would still rather be a boy for as long as he can."

"I know Akane, but last night aunty Nodoka made me promise that Ranma would wear the appropriate garments when he was going to be spending time as a girl. It seems she was … uncomfortable with the attention he, or should I say she was attracting on campus yesterday. So it would probably be best if Ranma left as a girl, in the appropriate garments to begin with. It will certainly be easier than convincing him to were a bra as a boy, don't you think?"

With a smile that was too innocent to be real, Kasumi turned and left her little sister to break the bad news to her 'fiancée'.

Waiting till after she heard Kasumi's footsteps travel down the stairs, Akane knelt down beside her fiancé, glass held above his face preparatory to giving him a rather rude wake up call.

Suddenly seized by a mischievous urge, she pulled back the glass. Reaching out, she tentatively touched his exposed stomach with the tips of her fingers. Placing her palm against his skin, she could feel the hard muscle that lay beneath. Her hand on his flesh and her eyes intently watching, she slowly poured the water out on his shirt, soaking it and triggering the change.

She would never admit it out loud, but Akane found Ranma's curse fascinating. Until the day Ranma and his father came to their home, she had never seen actual magic before. When she found out that magic was real, it touched something inside, some forgotten part of childhood perhaps.

This was the first time she had really paid attention to the process of his change, the first time she was touching him when it happened. In spite of her focusing on the change she still missed it. In between two blinks of an eye, Ranma went from being a boy to a girl. Gone were the hard masculine planes, replaced by soft feminine curves. The skin and muscle under her hand, while still firm, was somehow smoother, less threatening.

Akane was amazed that Ranma was still asleep after she soaked his shirt, but then she remembered all of the pictures Nabiki had taken of the girl while she slept, on nights when Ranma had gone to bed as a boy.

Removing her hand from Ranma's belly, she drew a deep breath then leaned down by the sleeping girl's ear.

"**WAKE UP BAKA!**" She yelled in her ear.

Ranma-Chan leaped to her feet before her mind had even registered what had awakened her. With a wry smile on her face, Akane rose to her own feet and walked past her to the door.

"Come on Ranma," she said pausing in the exit. "it's time to get dressed. We don't want to let our training slip now, just because we've won one little tournament."

Ranma gave her a disgruntled look that turned squeamish when she realized her shirt was cold and wet, sticking to her skin in a very uncomfortable way. Looking down her puzzlement turned to fear when she saw the way the cotton material clung to her. She spun about, facing away from Akane before she could become angry or disgusted.

"Why am I a girl? I was a guy when I went to sleep, I know it."

"I'm sorry Ranma," Akane said in her sweetest voice, this wasn't going to be easy.

"but it is still raining and Kasumi thought that since your bound to get wet anyway, it would be best if you just started out as a girl."

Ranma pulled the wet material away from her skin. She would have just taken the uncomfortable shirt off if she wasn't so certain of how the tomboy would react.

"Fine" Ranma said in resignation, "I guess it doesn't really matter anyway."

She moved to her closet and started pulling out her clothes, wondering how long Akane was going to stand there and what she would do if she started to change in front of her.

This was the moment Akane hadn't been waiting for. She coughed to get Ranma's attention.

"Ranma, Kasumi said your mother wants you to 'dress appropriately' when your going to be a girl. That means the right undergarments and everything, so you better look in the other half of your wardrobe."

To Ranma's grief she did indeed have a second half to her clothing selection. Thanks to necessity and 'aunty Nodoka' attempting to make a proper young lady of little Ranko Tendo, Ranma had a fair sized collection of girls clothes. Some of it made her skin crawl just thinking about wearing it.

"Why would my mother want that, it wouldn't be very manly."

A cold shiver ran down her spine when she had a sudden image of her mother introducing her to a nice young man who would give her lots of grandchildren. For all of his macho behavior, Ranma wasn't very secure in his manhood. Not that anyone could blame him. What kind of a man was as familiar with what it was like to be a woman as she was? She didn't even like to think about all of the things she had been forced to become familiar with.

Akane knew how much Ranma feared disappointing his manliness obsessed mother and she couldn't help but feel sorry for him. As jealous as she was that Ranma still had her mother, she at least knew her mother had loved her unconditionally. Ranma was still afraid that Nodoka would turn her away.

"I'm sorry Ranma. I guess it is partly my fault for bringing up those perverts from the news, but after seeing the way the boys reacted to you at the university. I'm afraid she isn't comfortable with you being a girl without dressing like one. I, I'll wait for you down stairs."

With that she turned and fled the room and the uncomfortable silence that permeated it.

After her fiancée closed the door, Ranma-Chan took off her wet shirt with a disgusted sigh. She wasn't a girl and she didn't feel comfortable dressing like one. It felt like she was trying to be someone else, like she was ashamed to be Ranma Saotome. It didn't help that sometimes she was.

Reaching into the closet she pulled out the pink coveralls with the word 'China' on them. Akane had given these to her and they would probably work best for jogging. Holding them in her hands, Ranma looked with dread at the paper bag shoved unceremoniously in the back of the closet. If her mother wanted her to dress like a girl, then she would mean those to.

Fifteen minutes later Ranma-Chan came down the stairs wearing the coveralls and a light blue blouse. Figuring she could use the cold rain as an excuse, she was also wearing the green jacket and hat from her Maoist worker's uniform. They helped some, but she was still fidgeting. She just couldn't get used to wearing a bra and panties and she didn't want to. Though she had to admit, the bra did help support the awkward weight she had to carry around as a girl.

Akane was waiting for her in the ghenkan near the foot of the stairs. She already had her own jacket on, along with her shoes and was carrying an umbrella. Akane struggled to contain her mirth at the way Ranma was dressed. And he called her a tomboy. Without a word Ranma joined her at the door and slipping on her own shoes, they left the house.

Ranma was seriously annoyed. It had rained most of the night and the sky was still dark with heavy rain clouds. The streets were filled with puddles and everyone they passed was carrying a furrowed umbrella. The threat of so much cold water was the reason she was dressed like a girl, yet in spite of all this she was still bone dry. For once the old lady down the street hadn't even been out cleansing her sidewalk. 'I guess the old bat didn't see much point in splashing water onto puddles.'

Ranma felt cheated.

If she had know she wouldn't be getting wet she would have left home a guy, but if she had she just knew something would have happened to activate the curse. A car would have splashed her, rain would have surprised her, a passing goldfish salesman would have tripped on a hundred yen piece, something. Instead she was a girl and perfectly dry. Life wasn't fair.

She was being too optimistic.

Akane was walking next to her, a small bag of groceries in one arm her umbrella tucked under the other. The morning had gone wonderfully so far. Leaving the house the two girls had run the fences on the way to the market place. Akane had improved dramatically and could now run atop even narrow chain link with hardly a wobble.

At the market Akane was amazed to discover how many people had heard about or even watched the tournament on TV. Everyone they met had congratulated her on her victory and asked whether or not she was going to try for the Olympic team. She knew her father would never hear of it, but knowing that the people in her neighborhood thought she was good enough to do so was doing wonderful things to her self esteem. Even Ranma had let slip a few comments of praise when asked for her opinion.

Akane was feeling so good that she treated them both to a box of chocolate Poky. She giggled at the way Ranma-Chan's eyes lit up at the sight of the sweet confection. Sometimes the girl was just so cute and acted so feminine that it was easy to forget she was really a guy. Akane wondered if the pools had messed with Ranma's mind as well as her body. Or maybe it was just having a girl's hormones. She cringed as that thought reminded her of the fourth box of feminine products that had appeared under the bathroom sink after the Saotomes arrived. She was so very grateful that Kasumi felt that was one conversation that an engaged couple shouldn't have before marriage. That first time Ranma-Chan had pushed the stereotype for all it was worth.

The morning had been going so perfectly, she kind of wished a light rain would start falling so they could huddle beneath the umbrella she carried. Somehow it just felt like that would be the perfect way to end their morning.

Fate, it seemed, had something far less pleasant in mind.

They were nearly home, the street empty of cars and only one other pedestrian in sight ahead of them, when Kuno Tatewaki stepped out from behind the tree where he had been waiting. He seemed to like hiding behind trees. In defiance of the rain he was wearing his hakima, along with his families honor blade.

He rushed towards them, arms outstretched, when to Akane's mild surprise Ranma stepped in front of her separating her from Kuno.

"Oh my pig tailed goddess, my fierce tigress, my breast doth swell with joy that you may again bask in my glorious presence. My heart did threaten to leap from my chest when my man servant Sasuke informed me that you had both left home together without the presence of the cowardly sorcerer Saotome."

Ranma bristled with anger. How dare this pompous fool call her a coward.

"Come my loves," Kuno declared in his loudest stage voice. "too long have you waited to enjoy my passionate embrace. My chariot awaits, let us be off for I have prepared the bridal chamber that we might at long last be consumed by our love and celebrate our bonds of holy matrimony."

Ranma's stance radiated aggression and anger.

"Lay one hand on either of us you pervert and I'll feed you that sword!" she threatened.

The delusional kendoist released a disappointed sigh.

"My poor goddess. When the fair Nabiki did deliver the pictures you had sent for me, I dared to dream that the passion you showed me was proof that you had at long last escaped the bindings of Saotome's foul spells, but alas, I see that I was playing the fool. For is it not proper in such tales for the valiant hero to fight to free his lady loves from the forces of darkness that would prey upon such innocence, seeking to thwart the destiny of true love."

With that he drew his sword.

"Come my loves, let us do battle. Then when I have freed your minds from the evil glamour that binds you, we shall away that I might give you a proper welcome into the noble house of Kuno."

Kuno raised his sword high above his head, preparatory to striking.

Ranma tensed, ready to defend Akane with her life.

Akane dropped the bag of groceries Kasumi had sent her for, raising the umbrella, the only weapon she had to defend against Kuno's steel.

Everything was set to explode in a frenzy of violence, when one strange word brought it all to a halt.

"Obliviate!"

It was rather anticlimactic really.

Mei Lin set out that morning with the first real excitement she had felt in over a week. Following the silver compass, she rode her rented scooter through the rain washed streets of Nerima. Hopefully the successful conclusion of her mission was awaiting her at the end of this journey. Surely any adept who wasn't too proud to enter a touki-rui tournament would at least consider her proposal.

Slowly making her way through the tight residential streets, she had seen the bundle carrying woman upon whom she had anchored her tracking spell walking along the way. The woman was accompanied by a heavy set man who wore glasses and a handkerchief wrapped around his head.

Not wishing to approach the woman without the tournament champion present, she parked her scooter and then followed discreetly on foot for several streets. Still keeping her distance, she watched the woman and her companion enter a private gate ahead. Pulling out a small pair of spy glasses, she read the sign on the wall by the gate.

'Tendo Dojo; School of Indiscriminate Grappling. Anyone wishing to challenge the master to savage combat, please use the rear entrance.'

That looked promising. She had learned at the awards ceremony that the girl's name was Akane Tendo, so this must be the place were she lived and studied. She was working out her introduction in her mind when she spotted the very girl she was looking for approaching down the street with another Japanese girl. Deciding that it wouldn't hurt to first meet the girl without the presence of her master, Mei Lin set off down the street towards the pair when her view was obscured by a tall young man in traditional samurai dress. He was even wearing a sword.

'This,' she thought 'doesn't look too good.'

She picked up her pace to a brisk walk, hoping she could deal with this strange situation without having to do anything rash. Too bad for her that the Kunos didn't know any other way of doing things.

The boy's proudly pitched voice, as if performing for an audience, made it easy to hear what he was saying. Understanding his mangled way of speaking was much harder. Even so, it was clear to her, even before he drew his sword, that he intended to take these two girls and have his way with them. By force if need be.

Cursing the eccentricities that seemed to permeate the magic community everywhere, she drew her wand and pointing it at the back of the boy's head she cast a spell that would at least delay this encounter.

"Obliviate!"

Before the boy could recover, she stepped around him to meet the girls.

"Come on." She said, beckoning them. "Let's get inside before he recovers his senses."

Ranma couldn't help herself.

"No worries. Kuno doesn't have any sense to recover."

Akane slapped the umbrella into Ranma's chest and arms, then relieved of its burden she stooped to gather the groceries. Seeing that Ranma was still standing there, warily watching the young woman who had come to their aid, she grabbed her fiancé's arm and started dragging her towards the house.

"Come on baka. This has been too nice a day to spoil it with Kuno."

Akane was fuming inside and had little patience left for Ranma's posing.

As if it wasn't enough for Kuno to get them thrown out of school, now the jerk was accosting her outside her home. It didn't help that she had heard his comment about Ranma and pictures. She suddenly knew what Ranma and Nabiki had done to raise the money for the tournament. She would not allow any lingering sense of guilt eclipse the happiness she felt at winning, nor at knowing Ranma had made it possible.

Still holding Ranma's hand, she led her and their savior through the gate and into the house beyond.

Kuno found himself standing in the street near the home that sheltered his three loves, his sword bare in his hand. He spent several confused moments trying to remember what he was doing waiting in the street instead of greeting them in their home.

'Oh yes.' He thought, 'now I remember. Sasuke saw my two wives leaving the Tendo home this morning without Saotome. Surely their desire to consummate our love hath weakened the sorcerer's spell and even now they seek me out. I will not waste this opportunity by blindly seeking them in the streets, nor will I warn my foe of his imminent defeat by intruding into his stronghold. No, I will wait right here beneath the shelter of this noble tree, which surely the kami have placed here for this very purpose, and when my loves return I shall surprise them with the pleasure of being with my august self.'

Now sure of his intent, and having no memory of their having already returned, he sheathed his noble blade and returned to his god given shelter to await the joy in the eyes and hearts of his loving wives. To pass the time he warmed himself by surveying the wonderful pictures his future wife Nabiki had provided.

With those in hand there was little danger that he would soon tire of waiting and seek his prey within. There was, after all, no way they could have evaded his vigilant watch.

The mind of a fool is a happy place.

Inside the Tendo home, Akane presented their guest with a pair of house slippers while Ranma put away the umbrella.

"Thank you for helping us with Kuno." Akane bowed to the woman they had just met.

"Please, let me at least offer you a cup of tea in gratitude."

Mei Lin smiled, this was going much better than she had dared hope.

"I would be honored to join you, thank you." She answered.

Ranma was eyeing their guest warily. She didn't recognize the technique, but she knew what this woman had done to Kuno was some form of magic. The only women she had ever met who practiced anything similar were the Amazons and this woman did look to be part Chinese. Maybe Dr. Livingston had gotten lost on his way to Zimbabwe and suffered the misfortune of winning a fight with one of their warriors. After all, if they were willing to claim one of the hated Japanese then why not a westerner.

Akane saw the suspicious looks Ranma was giving their guest and discreetly kicked her fiancé in the shin.

Ranma's face scrunched up in pain and annoyance.

'Stupid tomboy, when would she learn not to be so trusting. Fine, if that was the way she wanted it.'

"I'm going upstairs to change." She said.

Then committing words to action, she disappeared to her room.

Downstairs Akane bowed again to her guest, this time in apology.

"I'm sorry for her rude behavior. I'm afraid we haven't had the best of luck with strangers. My name is Akane Tendo, welcome to my home."

Mei Lin bowed back.

"Thank you for having me Miss Tendo. I am Mei Lin Braithwaite."

"Please Ms. Braithwaite, if you would follow me."

Akane led her guest down the hall to the dinning room where she invited her to sit at the table, then left for the kitchen to get the tea. When she arrived in the kitchen she found her sister Kasumi already putting together a tea set.

Kasumi answered her little sister's questioning look by telling her that she had overheard them in the hall, so she took it upon herself to prepare the tea. She handed the tray to Akane.

"Why don't you see to our guest Akane, and I will summon father to come greet her."

"Thank you Kasumi." Akane said with a grateful smile before leaving the kitchen.

As Akane left the kitchen, Ranma-Chan was coming around the corner from the stairs. The red head had lost the coveralls and all that went with them and was again wearing her traditional black pants and a light blue Chinese shirt.

Ranma looked first at the tray Akane was carrying, then towards the dinning room were Mei Lin sat patiently looking out the open doors of the veranda at the koi pond.

Akane looked at her currently female fiancé with disapproval clear on her face.

"Ranma, you shouldn't be so rude. After all she did help us with Kuno."

Ranma was still watching the stranger in their home.

"Don't you think that's a little convenient Akane. Besides, she's Chinese and does magic. Add that to her being a woman and it all screams Amazon."

"Ranma," Akane said in exasperation "every woman of Chinese descent who does magic isn't an Amazon."

"Oh yeah" Ranma responded, the look on her face said she was going to be stubborn. "Name one who isn't."

Akane didn't have a response for that. Like Ranma, every Chinese woman who did magic she had met was an Amazon. She shook her head, prepared to be stubborn herself.

"There have to be some who aren't."

Not giving Ranma a chance to argue, she pushed past her and into the dinning room.

Ranma entered the kitchen, she needed some hot water.

Mei Lin may not have trained in the neko-ken, but she still had good ears and without any competing background noise she was able to hear most of what was said in the hall. She had heard of the Chinese Amazons before, but all she really knew about them was that they were very insular and more than a little arrogant. Her teachers in Hong Kong had uniformly warned her to avoid them if at all possible.

She was surprised to learn that Akane had run across them.

'This' she thought to herself, 'might complicate things.'

She would have to convince them that she wasn't a threat before she could even hope to try recruiting the girl for the ministry's plan.

Akane placed the tray on the table, then after serving her guest she sat down across the table from Mei Lin. A moment later Ranma, now male, entered and sat down next to Akane.

Mei Lin recognized him from the tournament. Seeing him now she realized how much he resembled the red haired girl that had been with Akane, right down to the open distrust on his face.

Before anyone could say anything, Soun entered the room followed by Kasumi, Nodoka and Genma. With the exception of Genma, who sat on the veranda, the others joined them at the table.

"Welcome young Miss. I am Soun Tendo and I understand we owe you our gratitude for helping my daughter and her fiancé with a little problem outside our home."

Mei Lin bowed and was just starting to introduce herself when they were interrupted by an ugly little goblin with a large stuffed bag on his back. The wrinkled little man came in through the open veranda, bouncing off of Genma's face and landing on the table. He was holding a lacy black bra out towards the young couple when he finally noticed Mei Lin sitting across from them.

The bra disappeared to be replaced by a metal pipe. Happosai sat upon the table between his heirs and the unknown woman, puffing on his pipe. He studied Mei Lin with a frightening intensity.

"Hmm … you've had some training girl, but your not a true artist."

Leaning in uncomfortably close, he sniffed her. Then he leaned back, an unpleasant frown on his face.

"Witch." He named her.

Everyone in the room looked at her and Happi with puzzlement. Everyone but Soun who was now giving her an appraising look.

Mei Lin decided that she had delayed long enough.

"My name is Mei Lin Braithwaite and though my mother is Chinese, I am from England and I am a witch."

"Excuse me miss," Soun interrupted, concerned. "but why did you come to Nerima? Your ministry has no authority here."

She had been surprised when the little troll recognized her for what she was, she was also surprised when Soun mentioned the ministry. How much did they know?

"You are right, but I am an auror here on ministry business."

"Auror?" Kasumi inquired.

Happi now looked disgusted. "A busy body who interferes where their not wanted." He said.

Soun and Genma exchanged knowing looks. "Cop." They both said in unison.

"Be that as it may," Nodoka said in a commanding voice that let it be known she would brook no interruption. "Miss Braithwaite has earned our gratitude. She is also a guest and we will not shame ourselves by not treating her like one."

The last was aimed at Happosai. He didn't look happy about it either.

The situation was threatening to spin out of control.

"Please, I did not come here to cause you any difficulty. I have come to Nerima in search of a young practitioner of your eastern arts with an offer from the ministry in England."

"What sort of offer?" That was Nabiki who had entered the room unnoticed while everyone was distracted by Happi's little performance.

"As aurors we protect the magical community in England from those who would abuse the magical arts. In our schools we teach our young people how to defend themselves from the dark arts, but your arts here in Asia are far more combat oriented than our own and the Minister feels that it would benefit our students to be introduced to your ways of magic. I am looking for an eastern adept who can relate to our own students, someone their age, to teach a supplementary defense course at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. I witnessed Akane's performance at the muggle, what you call the touki-rui tournament. I was hoping she would be interested in accepting the position."

"You want to take my baby all the way to Scotland!" Soun wailed.

Happosai was puffing away on his pipe, lost in thought. He wasn't happy to hear that one of his heirs had participated in a touki-rui competition, it was beneath his art. This offer though …

"Are you saying you want Akane, one of the heirs to my art, to teach a defense course at Hogwarts? That this request is coming from your Minister himself?"

"Yes." She answered. She thought she had made that clear.

"This all sounds very important, but what are you offering my little sister to make it worth her while to go all the way to Scotland?" Nabiki again. She always had her eye on the bottom line. "You are asking her to give up a great deal after all. Why she hasn't even finished high school yet and unless this class your asking her to teach is really short, she'll have to miss her last year. She wouldn't be able to graduate."

She ignored the fact that right now Akane wasn't attending school thanks to the Kunos. Mei Lin didn't need to know that.

"Hogwarts" Mei Lin directed at Akane in a reassuring voice, "is an accredited finishing school. You can attend your last year there and I can assure you a diploma from Hogwarts is worth as much as one from the most prestige's school in Japan. Even if you do intend to enter a muggle college."

Now she turned back to Nabiki.

"Also she would receive a wage consistent with being a starting teacher at Hogwarts. You should understand, a teaching position at Hogwarts is highly sought after in magic circles. They pay very well."

Nabiki wouldn't be placated that easily.

"Will she be paid in yen or English pounds?"

"We use our own money, not muggle currency."

"I've never heard of your currency, what if it is worthless in Japan? How would we exchange it and what is its value?"

Mei Lin's posture grew stiff, clearly insulted.

While Happi looked ready to bust a gut.

"You can tell your daughters to relax Soun. The magic community of England is made up of a bunch of sticks in the mud. They don't change unless forced to. That is why they still use coin of silver and gold, good anywhere if you melt them down."

That was good enough for the middle Tendo. Gold and silver are commodities and commodities, unlike money only increase in value.

Kasumi couldn't contain her excitement, this was like an answered prayer.

"Oh Akane, you could still graduate!"

Her reaction seemed a little strong to Mei Lin.

"Yes dear," Nodoka, "this would deal with the Kuno problem, but there is still one thing we must consider. What of the engagement and the pledge between our families?"

Everyone was looking at the young couple seated across from the auror, including Mei Lin. This was a problem that had never occurred to her. After all, they were so young.

Akane was looking at Ranma while trying to look like she wasn't. She was unconsciously chewing on her lower lip.

Ranma wasn't looking at anyone or even seeing the table that lay before his eyes. He was struggling to contain his fear. If Akane went to this Hogwarts who would protect her? She would be too far away for him to be there if she needed him. All he could see at the moment was Akane as a small doll, her eyes slowly closing.

The answer to their dilemma came from an unexpected source, Happosai.

"Ranma will just have to go with her."

Now everyone was staring at the diminutive martial arts master. He had a very unsettling gleam in his eye.

"I don't think that would be proper." That from a shocked Kasumi.

"I'm afraid Kasumi is right, it wouldn't be proper for them to go away to England like this." Nodoka said in her best matriarch's voice. "They will have to be married first."

Mei Lin was floored by the sudden wave of overwhelming support her offer now received.

The first was Genma. "Quite right Nodoka, they will have to be married. Come Tendo, we must find a priest." With that the fathers were gone.

Kasumi rose and headed towards her father's room. "I'll gather the paper work from the last wedding."

Nodoka followed her, discussing all of the preparations they would have to make.

Nabiki was next to rise to her feet, intent on rushing off to sale the news to anyone who would pay. Then she paused as she remembered that the only really interested party still in town was Kuno, and she no longer felt it was safe to sale information about her sister to the delusional idiot. Not just because of what he sought to do to her baby sister, but because of what he might try to do to her if she called him. The knowledge that her picture now hung beside that of her sister and Ranma's female form was more than a little distressing. So instead of heading for the door or the phone, she went upstairs to her room. She suddenly felt the need to lie down. Then she would start planning her own departure to college. Classes might not start till next fall, but she saw no reason why she couldn't leave early.

Ranma and Akane just sat there side by side, looking overwhelmed. Akane was also blushing profusely because in his fear Ranma had unconsciously taken hold of her hand and had yet to let go.

Mei Lin sat there lost in the tumult and confusion. She had come hoping to find one adept willing to come to Hogwarts, instead she was gaining two whether she wanted them or not. She was lost in the moment, but a tap on her shoulder with a metal smoking pipe brought her back.

Happosai was standing on the table in front of her, staring her in the eyes.

"You will be taking my two heirs to London, yes?"

She nodded hesitantly, "We will stay in London while we make preparations for their introduction to Hogwarts, yes."

Happi was now wearing a truly malevolent smile. "And while your there, can I assume you will have occasion to take them to Gringotts Bank?"

She couldn't believe how much these people knew about the community in England.

"I … I expect at some point, yes, most likely."

The pipe had disappeared and the little troll was rubbing his hands together in a happy fashion. He wasn't really talking to her, or anyone else for that matter, when he said in his most evil voice: "Stick that in your craw, cousin."

Less then an hour later, the whole family plus one auror was assembled in the dojo for the wedding. In the interest of time the fathers had decided to go with another western style ceremony. They had even found a western style priest to conduct it, one who specialized in quick marriage ceremonies.

Mei Lin was staring at the priest, who though he was Japanese, didn't look like any priest she had ever seen in either Asia or England. His hair was swept up in a pompadour, he had long sideburns going down each cheek, and was dressed in a white flashy outfit with blue suede shoes. He also talked with a most peculiar accent, one she couldn't place.

For some reason he looked familiar.

Akane was again wearing the white dress from the first wedding attempt. It was a little wrinkled and the veil was torn, but both Kasumi and Nodoka assured her that she looked beautiful.

Like Akane, Ranma was back in his tux. Only this time he was conscious when he put it on. He was more than a little afraid, he didn't think he was ready for marriage, but he knew that without this she might go to England without him. She might be safe at this Hogwarts, but he couldn't bare the thought of losing her even for a little while.

So now they were standing together before a priest who reminded them too much of principal Kuno and when asked, each squeaked out their 'I dos'. Then the priest pronounced them man and wife and told Ranma he could kiss the bride.

Kuno had been waiting patiently under the canopy of his god given tree ( it's easy to be patient when you fall asleep ), when he was awoken by the Tendo and Saotome patriarchs rushing by with a third man in tow. One who somehow reminded him of his own father.

His wives had yet to return to the place of their imprisonment, at least he hadn't seen them. He sat waiting, ever vigilant for some time more when it suddenly occurred to him that he also hadn't seen the fathers leaving yet now they returned, clearly from some where else. There was no way they could have slipped by unnoticed on his watch, so he was forced to come to an unpleasant conclusion.

'They must have used foul magic to leave unseen and if not for the stranger they brought back with them would likely have returned the same way.'

This led to another unpleasant thought,

'If they were able to use magic to come and go unseen, then they might also have used magic to spirit my devoted brides back to their cage! Their escape was for naught!'

The blood rushed from his face leaving him pale as a truly horrific realization set in. The heartless fathers, one who would raise a foul sorcerer and the other who would force his daughter's unwanted engagement to said fiend, the man they brought with them was someone he had seen before.

His loon of a father had an unholy idol of that man placed within a shrine in his office. The idol was an eight inch tall statue wearing a necklace of flowers and holding some pagan instrument. It was truly a cursed artifact for when you moved within its sight it would suddenly start shaking in a most disturbing fashion, while screaming out evil incantations about a 'Blue Hawaii'.

That statue must have come from the accursed isles of Hawaii, the source of his father's madness, and that meant that man he had seen go by must be the most abominable of all abominations. The witch king to whom all other such answered. This was the demon who was even now rushing towards the helpless Akane and the pig tailed girl. ( Kuno forgot that if the third man was in fact the king of evil spell casters, then he could have used his magic to pass unnoticed as the fathers had earlier. Such thinking would have derailed his perfect logic and thus was beneath him. )

With only one thought in his mind ( it involved silken veils, plush throw pillows and chocolate syrup ) Kuno drew his righteous blade and raced to the rescue.

Ranma faced Akane, his wife, and with trembling hands he lifted the rent veil from before her face. She wasn't wearing make up as she had last time and her hair had been put up in a hurry, but in his eyes she had only looked more beautiful once. That time being at Jusendo when she was wearing only his borrowed shirt.

Her face was flushed, her eyes were closed and the only reason he didn't hear the loud beating of her heart, was because he was deafened by his own. Her face was lifted towards his own and he was struggling to find the courage to do as the priest had said, when Nerima tradition reasserted itself.

"Unhand my wife you fiends!"

Yelling his challenge, Kuno leaped to the center of the dojo sword swinging.

He was met by a pair of jumping kicks as Ranma and Akane Saotome performed their first action as a married couple. While most would cement their vows with a kiss, they concluded their ceremony with a combined smack down on Kuno.

After the strange wedding ceremony Mei Lin retrieved her scooter and returned to her hotel to call in her report. She hoped her superior Shackle Bolt, would be pleased with the 'success' of her search. Reaching her room she delayed the inevitable by first showering and changing. Then she called room service and ordered a hot toddy, not the virgin kind.

With the warm drink settling her nervous stomach, she spread a large cloth on the floor. Then after ensuring that the smoke detectors wouldn't be at risk of going off, she drew from her carry on bag a metal brazier sixteen inches in diameter ( Magic luggage, it's a wonderful thing. ). Filling it with embers from a pouch, she used her wand to ignite them. Once the coals were ready she cast the complex spell that would make it possible to speak to her superior.

Soon the coals formed a strong masculine face, Shackle Bolt.

The face gave her a warm smile, both literally and figuratively.

"Mei Lin, it is good to hear from you. How are you?"

Shackle Bolt could be extremely intimidating and the medium of hot ash didn't hurt, but somehow he still managed to seem warm and inviting when he desired to.

"I am good Sir, the people of Japan are very polite and I have enjoyed my time here."

"Your time, past tense? Have you finished your mission then?"

"I believe so Sir, though not entirely the way we had planned."

The ashes raised an eyebrow inquisitively.

"Then in what way have you finished?"

Mei Lin drew a deep breath to steady herself. As a young girl in Hong Kong she had studied meditation and the techniques had served her well over the years, in spite of their muggle origins.

"I found a young girl newly turned seventeen years of age. She is a practitioner of the eastern arts and she and her family have agreed to her coming to England and Hogwarts."

"That sounds wonderful, we shall do our best to make her feel welcome. It sounds like you have done exactly what we set out to do. So what am I missing?"

He sounded amused and she was reminded that he never took this assignment very seriously. While she did.

"The girl, Akane Tendo was engaged to be married to the son of her father's friend. It was an arranged engagement, something both families took very seriously and neither was willing to risk it by sending her to England." She released a tired sigh. "So I will not be bringing Miss Tendo to Hogwarts. Instead I will be bringing Mrs. Saotome and her new husband."

Shackle Bolt was laughing, releasing small tongues of flame.

"Well, Mr. Scrimgeour did want someone who would attract attention. I dare say an exotic pair of underage newlyweds will certainly do that."

The fiery face looked up at her.

"Relax Mei Lin, you have done well and the Minister will be pleased. How soon can we expect your return?"

"Immediately sir, it seems the young couple are anxious to begin. Their master, one ugly little man named Happosai, is even more anxious. Though I don't think his reasons are well intentioned."

"Happosai?" he asked. "A goblin looking little man with an unusual affection for women's undergarments?"

Mei Lin remembered the lacy bra the little freak had been holding when he arrived. The description was too accurate to be a guess, or even a crude divination.

"Yes. You know of him Sir?"

The embers in the brazier turned to true fire as Shackle Bolt lost himself in gales of laughter. Before the ashes collapsed, ending the spell, she heard him say "Oh yes, this will be quite distracting! I can't wait till they hear about this at Gringotts."

Mei Lin sat there before the bowl of cooling ashes, wondering what she was missing.

Happosai had specifically mentioned Gringotts as well.

She cleaned up the ritual's remains, then prepared to depart. The Saotomes wanted to leave tonight and given the eventful way the wedding ended, she wasn't inclined to argue. They had a long flight before them.

Later that evening found Mei Lin and the Tendo/Saotome families at the Narita Airport in Chiba Japan, waiting to leave on a Northwest Airlines jet to America. They had stop over in Hawaii, Las Angeles, and Boston. Then a quick hop across the Atlantic to Heathrow in England. It was going to be a very long flight.

It had been decided that Nodoka and Kasumi would accompany Mei Lin and the newlyweds to London, where they would stay for the summer and maybe longer.

Nabiki would be taking a train from the airport to Shinjuku near Waseda, the university that hosted the tournament. She was hoping to be admitted to their school of political science and economics, with heavy emphasis on the economics. Perhaps even a second major in commerce. She intended to avoid the Tendo home for a while, least she suffer another run in with Kuno.

That left only the fathers and master Happosai, and the old man had made their plans. He just hadn't told them yet. He didn't want his pupils running off on him and he certainly didn't want any of the women folk learning of it. He had been planning this particular training trip for a very long time, even before his imprisonment in that cave. Now that his school of the art was off to show its glory to those good for nothing relatives of his in England, he wanted to celebrate and who better to join him then his own disciples. He didn't believe for a moment that either Ranma or Akane were ready for this trip. He seriously doubted either ever would be. The two had a gift for breaking things and people, but he despaired of them ever grasping the true meaning of Anything Goes.


	2. Chapter 2 Watford

**Watford**

**It was so early in the morning as to still be considered night when the Virgin Atlantic plane carrying Mei Lin and her party landed at Heathrow airport in London. This early in the fall it would be several hours yet before the sun would rise and even this, one of the world's busiest airports, was nearly empty as they debarked from the jet. In spite of that, their plane had still been held circling for more than twenty minutes waiting for an open slot on one of the airport's four busy runways. **

**Given that the airport was located only eighty three feet above sea level and just west of London proper, it was surrounded by neighborhoods where ear plugs were very popular items.**

**Exhausted and more than a little stiff, they shuffled their way out of the terminal and into the fog shrouded night. Peering into the dark with bleary eyes, the tired travelers were dismayed to discover they couldn't see more than a dozen feet into the night.**

**Akane pushed her short black hair back from where it had fallen across her eyes.**

"**I thought the thick London fog was something they made up for the movies." She said.**

**Ranma was warily watching the fog, convinced that it's swirling arms were just waiting to wrap themselves around him in a wet embrace, activating his curse. Mei Lin didn't know of it yet and he wanted to keep it that way. After the wedding, when Mei Lin returned to her hotel, his mother and new wife had tried to convince him that he should tell the witch before she found out on accident, most likely at a very bad time. He knew they were probably right, the curse refused to stay hidden for long, but still he vainly sought to put it off. He wanted the auror to get to know 'him' first before being introduced to 'her', especially now that his mother insisted 'she' wear the proper garments.**

**Ranma took a half step back, unconsciously placing the other women between him and their guide.**

"**Where are we going and how are we going to get there?" Nodoka asked Mei Lin. "I don't particularly fancy our chances of finding a taxi under these conditions."**

**She was right, even at a busy airport, the dark and fog would make it difficult to find a cab and nigh impossible to attract one's attention.**

"**Transportation…" Mei Lin answered, "will not be a problem. We will simply take the night bus."**

**Akane stepped to the edge of the sidewalk, peering into the dark in search of a sign or bus station.**

"**Where does it stop?" she was asking, but her voice cut off in a shriek when suddenly a red double decked bus came shooting out of the fog at high speed, only to brake suddenly in front of them.**

**Surprised by the arrival of the behemoth, she had jumped backwards and into Ranma. He was too tired to respond quickly enough and his nodding head was throwing off his balance. The end result was that the newlyweds went down in a jumble of limbs and luggage.**

"**Oh my!" Kasumi rushed in to help her sister regain her feet. That accomplished the two Tendo girls turned to help Ranma rise from where he was lying among their bags, but he had already fallen asleep.**

**The ride on the night bus was one Akane would never forget, or hopefully repeat. It wasn't because of the talking heads, the crowded interior, or even the way the practically blind old man drove. No, it was the way the young man who helped them bring aboard their luggage kept staring at her. Her English was reasonably passable, unlike Ranma's, but even so it had taken her several minutes to realize that the skinny fellow with big teeth was hitting on her. His efforts were both clumsy and condescending. When she informed him that she was a married woman, instead of stopping he had become insulting.**

**Most of the time she found Ranma's overprotective tendencies annoying, now the one time she wished he would come to her rescue and drive the irritating young fop away, he was too busy snoring on his mother's shoulder. It had been a long flight for all of them, so why was he the one who was so tired.**

**From outside the Leaky Cauldron looked like the kind of place their fathers would patronize, the kind of place none of them would ever go. Inside it was like stepping back in time to the set of a low budget fantasy movie. The wooden furniture was old and battered, the walls rough hewn wood and brick. The patrons, for the place wasn't empty even at this time of night, looked like extras from a Charles Dickens novel. Akane half expected to see orphans running around stealing wallets.**

**None of them were complaining though.**

**The food they were served was hot and filling, and the down filled mattresses in their rooms so soft it felt like sleeping on a cloud. Ranma didn't last long enough to get undressed, just fell into the bed snoring on his way down.**

**Mei Lin apologized, but it turned out that the ministry had only arranged for two rooms and the inn was full. So they were forced to double up. Nodoka and Kasumi took one room, leaving the other for Akane and her husband. Kasumi had argued that married or not, the two weren't ready for true husband and wife relations. Nodoka's counter argument was to point out that Ranma was too old to share a bed with his mother and Kasumi wasn't his wife. Unless of course she was interested in another kind of relationship then that of sister-in-law, Ranma would have to share a room with Akane.**

**The young couple would have put in their own two cents worth, but Ranma was already asleep and Akane had joined him while the older women debated the issue. In the end it was decided that everyone was too tired for it to be a concern, so the older ladies went to their room and Mei Lin promised to return in the morning.**

**Akane was brought back to the land of the living by a hand on her shoulder. She tried to resist waking. Her bed was so soft, the thick comforter so warm, they were way to comfy and she was loath to give them up. The hand was persistent though, and try as she might eventually her eyes did open. When they did, they found a cheerful and smiling Kasumi looking down on her.**

**Her sister had traded her normal house dress and blouse for a fuzzy sweater and pleated wool skirt. She did not look like she had spent nearly twenty four hours squeezed in coach on airplanes. **

**It wasn't fair.**

**Kasumi pulled her little sister up, forcing her out of her comfortable nest to sit on the edge of the bed. Akane looked a mess, her clothes were wrinkled from having been slept in, and her hair was mussed with a terrible cow lick over her right temple. Right now she looked like an extra from a George A. Ramero movie.**

"**It's time to get up Akane, Mei Lin is waiting downstairs and there is so much to do."**

**Akane looked for the time on her bedside clock, but there wasn't one. So all she could do was look through the leaded glass window, but all she could tell through the thick glass was that the sun was shinning.**

**Kasumi had one of Akane's bags laid opened on the small ratty couch that was the other dominant piece of furniture in the room. From it she pulled a simple outfit, a pale blue blouse and yellow knee length skirt. Continuing to search she frowned in disappointment.**

"**Akane dear, early spring in England is not nearly as warm as it is in Nerima and you didn't pack any sweaters. Oh well, I guess it can't be helped. You will have to borrow one of mine. In the meantime this should be enough for you to get ready. Unfortunately this inn does not have separate facilities for each room, but the communal bath is really quite nice. So lift yourself out of that bed and lets get you cleaned up and ready for your first day in London. Oh, this is so exciting. We are in a country half way around the world!"**

**Akane smiled at her sister's exuberance. It was easy to forget that the farthest Kasumi had been from home since mother died was the Tendo family's yearly trip to the beach. She was glad Kasumi was able to come along. Not just for her sister's sake either. Having Kasumi here made the whole thing far less scary.**

**Akane gathered her bathing supplies, while Kasumi carried her clothes and led her down the hall to the bathing room. Entering Akane did a double take when she saw what awaited her within. While the rest of the inn was rather rough and rustic, the bath was anything but. It was very old fashioned, just like the rest of the place, but the floor was covered with white porcelain tile. The walls were sheathed in oak paneling, and as for the tub. It was no bigger than the furo back home, but running her hand over the smooth surface, looking at the thick dark veins running through it, Akane realized that the tub recessed into the floor was made of polished stone. This room belonged in a palace, not a cheap hotel.**

"**Akane, don't take too long, Ranma still needs to get ready as well. I'll wake him up on my way out."**

"**Out?" Akane asked.**

**Kasumi nodded while placing her sister's clothes on a cedar dressing table in the corner.**

"**Aunty Nodoka and I are going shopping in town with a couple of nice ladies Mei Lin introduced us to."**

**She wore a puzzled look. "She called them 'squibs' whatever that means. They are going to be our new neighbors, so they will be helping us set up our home here. Anyway, Mei Lin is waiting to take you and Ranma shopping for school supplies."**

**Kasumi left while Akane was undressing. Looking around the room, Akane didn't see a bucket, so with a shrug she climbed into the tub. What a nights rest in a comfortable bed didn't accomplish, her time soaking in the hot water did. Twenty minutes later she left the bathing room clean, dressed and feeling deliciously human again. She couldn't contain an amused snicker as she passed her husband in the hall. **

**Ranma stood leaning against the wall, his head nodding as he struggled to stay awake. Sometime during the last twenty four hours most of his hair had worked its way free of its pigtail, and now his head looked like a black hedgehog had decided to nest there. Stumbling past her, he disappeared into the bath without a word.**

**Twenty minutes later, Ranma came sneaking back into their room in a rumpled pair of boxers. Spying his clothes still lying on the couch where Kasumi left them and he forgot them, he quickly dressed. He had just released a relieved sigh and turned to leave, when he spotted a big eyed Akane seated at the small round table just inside the door. The door had blocked his view of her when he entered so he hadn't known that she was there, and there the entire time.**

**Akane's face was bright red, her eyes opened wide and her mouth hanging slack with a small trail of drool forming at the corner of her lips. She looked like she was having trouble breathing.**

"**Uh, Akane…I didn't…I mean I didn't know, I didn't see you…"**

**Akane had been sitting quietly in the corner when her young husband had entered. She was silenced by shock when she looked up and discovered him wearing only his boxers, then to her surprise he took off those boxers and proceeded to dress right in front of her. She could tell he didn't know she was there and knew she should stop him, or at least turn away. **

**The first time she ever saw the male Ranma was when they had seen each other naked in the furo back home. This time he had his back turned to her so she wasn't getting as good a look, but that was more than a year ago and he had grown some since then. She stopped breathing at the sight of his long hair flowing loose down his well muscled back, the length of his strong legs, the smooth curve of his firm bottom. She almost cried out in disappointment when he dressed and covered it all. Now she had been caught staring and her face turned bright red with embarrassment while the lump forming in her throat stifled any excuses she might have offered. **

**Then Ranma started stammering like a child caught with his hand in the cookie jar. It made him look so cute. It also gave her the emotional upper hand, allowing her to escape her own embarrassing predicament.**

**With a smirk on her lips, she said "Pervert."**

**Then not giving him a chance to retort, she grabbed his arm and dragged him from the room.**

**Mei Lin was seated at a table in the Cauldron's common room eating a cheese and mutton sandwich when Akane came dragging Ranma into the room. She saw their blushing faces and was reminded that this had been their wedding night. It wasn't the way she dreamed of spending her own wedding night, but at least they had gotten to travel to a distant and exotic location.**

**When her eyes met Akane's she waved the two over to her table where a large fruit tray was already waiting, breakfast for the two newlyweds. For a brief moment she wondered if they had in fact spent the night like they were on their honeymoon, or if they had been too tired. Again, not the way she planned to spend her own wedding night.**

**The young couple dropped into their waiting seats and at her invitation gratefully dug into the waiting fruit. Grapes, pineapple slices and apple wedges disappeared with frightening speed and Ranma was eating even faster than Akane. Before she knew it the tray was empty and the young couple had settled back, comfortably sipping their orange juice. She noticed the way they avoided looking at each other, and the way they blushed uncontrollably when their eyes accidentally met. **

'**Well, well, maybe they did enjoy a proper wedding night after all.'**

**It was Akane who interrupted her mirthful musings.**

"**My sister Kasumi said you wanted to take us shopping for school supplies."**

**Ranma scowled, shopping was not one of his favorite activities. Even when it didn't include his unknowing mother trying to stuff 'Ranko' into frilly dresses and lingerie. He still had nightmares of the times his mother had tried to make the shy tomboy more attractive so that she might attract a manly husband. A cold shudder raced down his spine as his body remembered the feel of lacy under things against his girl form's sensitive skin.**

"**Why do we need to go shopping now?" he asked. "I thought the school year wouldn't start until next fall, nearly four months away."**

**Both Ranma and Akane were now looking at her questioningly.**

"**True" she said, "the new school year won't start until late August, but there is much you need to learn before then. For one thing, while a few of the students at Hogwarts do speak Chinese, you will find very few speak the language of your own home isles. For that reason, it will be necessary to work on improving your English."**

"**Why are we expected to learn English?" he grumbled, "Why don't they learn to speak Japanese, or even Chinese. There are more people in China then in England."**

**Mei Lin sighed. "Because at one time or another almost the entire world has been conquered by the English speaking people. Including Japan after World War II, even if the Americans didn't keep it. To put it simply, modern international relations truly began with the different people of the world having to deal with their English speaking invaders. It may not be pleasant to think about, but that is just the way it is. If the Japanese had succeeded in conquering China and southeast Asia, then they would all be learning to speak your language. As it is, you might be surprised to learn how many people in the west are learning your language. People who are not going to be at Hogwarts."**

**Now she was the one who looked a little chagrined.**

"**Your master was correct. The people of the Wizarding world are set in their ways and very resistant to change. Though it might prove profitable for them to learn Japanese or Chinese along with their muggle neighbors, most magic folk still refuse to study any languages but the Romantic ones."**

"**Besides," she added with a lighter tone, "if you are going to teach our students about magical combat, you will first need to learn how we do magic. I did promise you that we would teach you how to wield a wand, or aren't you interested?"**

**Akane remembered the way Mei Lin used her wand to make Kuno forget that he was bothering them. All without once fighting him, something which never seemed to work in the past.**

"**Yes!" she exclaimed. "I, I mean we, do wish to learn how to do what you do. Our own teachers have always refused to teach us such things."**

"**Oh they teach us alright." Ranma muttered, "It's just that their lessons are more about causing pain then about teaching."**

**Akane grimaced. She to remembered some of the lessons they, especially Ranma, had been forced to endure at the hands of Happosai and Cologne. She hopped that Mei Lin's lessons were not nearly as hard on her students.**

**Mei Lin smiled reassuringly.**

"**Don't worry." She said, "You will find that here and at Hogwarts, we pride ourselves on our ability to teach our students. Here a teacher is judged by how much his students learn, not by how much more he knows then they do."**

**She rose from her chair.**

"**Come." she said, gesturing for them to rise. "It is already after noon and we have much to do before we join Kasumi and Nodoka at your new home here in England."**

**She led them out of the Leaky Cauldron, but to their surprise they didn't exit out the door in front, the one through which they entered last night, but out a back door that opened on a small enclosed courtyard. A dead end.**

**Without saying a word, Mei Lin stepped towards the far wall and drawing her wand she tapped on the bricks in several places. Ranma and Akane watched in fascination as the bricks moved all on their own, rearranging themselves to form an archway. Looking beyond the new opening, they saw a narrow street crowded with people. Almost all of whom were wearing clothing that would look very out of place on the streets of London.**

"**Welcome to Daigon Alley." Mei Lin said, her voice rich with amusement. "This is the one place in London where you can find anything magical that you might need."**

**Taking each of them by the hand, she led the gaping couple into a whole new world.**

**To say that Soun and Genma were unhappy would be a severe understatement. It would be most appropriate to say that they were scared out of their minds. They should have been at home celebrating the uniting of their families, the assured future of their schools. Instead they were hiding in the cargo bay of an American C-17 Globe Master cargo jet, headed for a fate they shuddered to contemplate. **

**No sooner had they returned to the dojo after seeing their families off to London, then Master Happosai had ordered them to pack light and dragged them off on a final training journey. **

'**At last' he had announced, 'it is time for us to take the ultimate journey in our study of Anything Goes martial arts'. **

**Under the Master's direction they had used the Now You See Me, Now You Don't invisibility technique they had learned from Master Chingensai to sneak onto the American air base in Okinawa and aboard this plane. The two had no idea where the Master was taking them, but they knew that if the Americans caught them their schools would go on without them.**

**That was seventeen hours ago and the plane hadn't set down once during that time. That now changed as the men could feel the plane losing speed and altitude as it came in for a landing. After the plane landed and the airmen began unloading, they again used the ultimate peeping technique to sneak off of the plane, across the tarmac and past the nearest buildings. They kept going until they found themselves faced with a wide interstate highway, hiding beneath the elevated statue of an A-10 Warthog fighter jet hanging suspended in the air.**

**Looking out across the strangely lit skyline of this city in the desert, in a fearful voice Soun asked "Where do you suppose we are now Saotome?"**

**Genma never did get a chance to answer for it was at that moment that Master Happosai reappeared.**

"**My boys," he said, standing atop the statue, "you are looking at the mecha of mechas, the ultimate training ground of Anything Goes martial arts."**

**Wiping a tear from his eye, he went on to add "I have waited years to take my disciples on this trip. I had begun to fear it would never happen."**

**Leaping down from his perch atop the fake plane and landing in front of his puzzled companions, Happi used his pipe to point to a large billboard along the highway. It was brightly lit and staring out from it was a larger then life young woman wearing a feathered headdress, spiked heals, a pair of fans and not much else. Written above her head in large yellow letters was the words 'Girls, Girls, Girls' and 'All nude review'.**

**With tears of joy running down his face, his voice choked with emotion, the Master proudly declared "Boys, welcome to Las Vegas!"**

**The trip down Daigon Alley was an eye opening experience for Ranma and Akane. While Japan had its share of hidden curio shops and temples where a person could find and even buy magical items, this was the first time either had seen an entire street devoted to such. Ranma found himself wondering if there was a shop here that sold koi fishing rods. It wouldn't surprise him to learn that Ryouga had been here before. It would explain some of the odd objects pig boy had showed up with over the past year.**

'**Maybe,' Ranma thought to himself, 'Mei Lin could help me figure out how the Lost Boy can travel so far, so fast. All without ever knowingly crossing any oceans.'**

**He smiled at the thought that not only could he help make his old friends life better, but possibly even stop P-Chan from showing up at the most inopportune times. That alone would make this entire trip worth it.**

**Walking down the narrow street, they were surrounded by people in strange dress. Long robes and fluttering capes, pointed hats and tall boots, Akane's simple sweater and skirt stood out like a sore thumb. Even Ranma's Chinese tunic and pants somehow, by their very exotic appearance, seemed more at home here.**

**Soon they found themselves standing in front of Gringotts Bank, its crooked columns and twisted fascia somehow looking both ridiculous and intimidating at the same time.**

**Turning, Mei Lin stopped her charges before the entryway steps.**

"**This is Gringotts Bank." she told them, the tone of her voice conveying that this was important. "Now Gringotts is not run by humans, but by goblins."**

**Seeing the confused looks on their faces, she struggled to explain in terms they would understand.**

"**Goblins are…well their little bakemono, small oni. Their short and small and rather cruel and nasty, but there is no one better at safeguarding wealth. They also don't like people, so watch yourselves."**

**Having warned her charges, she turned and led the way up the short stair and through the door.**

**Inside the building Gringotts dropped the look of ridiculous and grasped firm hold of intimidating.**

**Entering they found themselves in a large room, deeper than it was wide with two tiers of elevated work spaces on each side. Seated at each station was a small and twisted looking man like creature with pointed ears and a long nose. **

**Something about them set off the young couple's internal alarms, something familiar.**

**The overall impression was of walking between two crenellated castle walls, manned by hostile guards just waiting for the signal to attack. The impression of fortifications was further reinforced by the large desk at the far end. It was a gate house in purpose as well as appearance, and seated behind it was a goblin that made all of the others look welcoming in comparison.**

**Mei Lin and her companions were half way down the room when she first noticed how quiet the room had fallen. Looking about she discovered that every pair of goblin eyes was now focused upon her little party. If the little fiends had seemed hostile before, then she didn't know what to call the looks they were receiving now.**

**Even the other people in the room, customers like themselves, had noticed and were now watching with nervous apprehension.**

**More goblins began to pour into the room. Entering through little seen doors that were too small for a human to use. They formed a wall between them and the front exit, driving them towards the gate house desk.**

**Ranma and Akane adopted defensive stances, while Mei Lin resisted the urge to draw her wand. The air was now thick with impending violence and it was clear that the goblins were going to be the ones to start it, truce or no truce.**

**Things were about to get ugly when "Mei Lin, there you are."**

**A clear voice filled with a commanding presence was projected through the room, cutting through the tension and unsettling the goblins. Kingsley Shackle Bolt had arrived and backed by no less then two senior aurors.**

**Using only the force of his personality, Shackle Bolt pushed his way through the surrounding goblins, coming to Mei Lin's side before the gate house desk. His two fellows remained behind the amassed goblins, placing them in a strategic cross fire.**

**Looking over Mei Lin to her young charges, he gave them each a warm smile, turning his formerly intimidating demeanor to pure charm. "You must be the Saotomes, our new instructors at Hogwarts. We haven't met yet, but I am Kingsley Shackle Bolt, acting head of the aurors." He winked at Akane and added, "That makes me Mei Lin's boss."**

**Chuckling, he placed his left hand on Ranma's shoulder in a friendly manner.**

"**She tells me that you are the heirs to Anything Goes martial arts." He stood poised in obvious thought, as if trying to remember something that hung just beyond his reach. Then his eyes grew big in a gesture of sudden realization that was too blatant not to be staged. Turning to the little monster scowling from his seat behind the desk, he asked "XXX, isn't that your cousin Happosai's school?"**

**The goblin before them had turned no less then three different shades of red. Both ears and his long nose were twitching, while the vein on his forehead was throbbing so hard it looked like it was going to explode. They could hear his teeth grinding. In a strained voice he asked "Is there something you require Mr. Shackle Bolt, or are you here to waste our time?"**

**Holding out a small silver key, Shackle Bolt answered "We are here to make a withdrawal. The Saotomes here will be attending Hogwarts next year and teaching a supplementary defense course. The ministry is providing them with the necessary resources to do so. I am here to retrieve those funds from a ministry account. If you would please, we have much to do today and don't have time to reminisce on your family history."**

**The two stood eye to eye, each waiting for the other to blink. Finally it was Shackle Bolt who ended their duel by holding his key up before the goblin's eyes.**

"**Mr. XXX, we really need to be going so if you could."**

**The apoplectic little fellow took the key in a trembling hand. His only answer was a low growl.**

**Things moved quickly after that, all other business in the bank being put on hold until the Saotomes left the building. It was painfully clear that the goblins wanted them gone as soon as possible. Every eye in the place followed them as they exited the bank.**

**Making their way down the steps, Shackle Bolt held in his mirthful chuckling with no small effort. Once they had traveled a safe distance down the street, he gave up the fight and hands clasping his sides the street rang with his echoing laughter. This continued for several minutes, his companions exchanging puzzled looks behind him. Finally his laughter wound down and with tears rolling down his cheeks he asked everyone and no one "Did you see the look on his face when I mentioned his 'cousin'? I thought his head was going to explode! No, today is not a good day to be a goblin."**

"**Excuse me sir." Mei Lin interrupted, "Did you say that Master Happosai is a goblin?"**

**Looking at her Shackle Bolt could see she was finding this hard to accept, while the Saotomes didn't seem the least bit surprised.**

"**Not exactly Mei Lin. Happosai's father is a goblin and a crafter of some renown. One too respected to be censured, but his mother was a rather peculiar Japanese witch. Being only half goblin, Happosai was treated, well, very badly. He was denied the right to learn his father's art, so as I understand it he set out to create his own art and thus prove his worth. To the annoyance of his kin and several people in the Ministry, he had a most unusual and amusing way of proving it. According to our records, he broke into one of Gringotts' secure vaults and deposited several wands belonging to important members of the ministry. Along with a pair of the English Queen's underpants they say. As you can imagine the whole incident was very embarrassing for the goblins and the ministry, so great effort was put into keeping it quiet. Which ensured that it became the headline news of every wizard paper from here to America."**

**He looked at Ranma and Akane with a twinkle in his eye.**

"**You two are definitely going to attract attention. I am afraid that through no action of your own, you have the ire of the goblin race. It would be best if you avoided their company while you are in England. They won't dare try anything, but if presented with an opportunity they might not be able to control themselves."**

"**Let them try." Ranma growled. "I pound the pervert plenty back home. I'm not afraid of his ugly family."**

**That sobered the auror right up.**

"**Mr. Saotome, this is not just about your safety. We have a long history of war and conflict with the goblins and it is only recently that the violence has finally stopped. Please do nothing that might start the fighting again. Will you promise me this as a guest in our country?"**

**Ranma shifted uncomfortably under the older man's gaze.**

"**Yea." He finally answered in a small voice. "I promise I won't start nothing, but I won't just stand by if they start something."**

**He added the last in defiance. He was after all, still Ranma.**

**Shackle Bolt and his companions departed, leaving Mei Lin and the Saotomes to continue their errands.**

**Mei Lin was still wrestling with the idea that the little troll she had met in Japan was actually half goblin. Worse, she was trying to accept that he had succeeded in breaking into Gringotts. True, the goblin claim that nothing placed within their care had ever been stolen was still accurate. In spite of that it threw their claims of absolute security into question. Growing up, Gringotts being unbreachable had been a given, like the sun rising in the East. Now she felt like someone had yanked the rug out from beneath her feet and she was left reeling.**

**Ranma and Akane on the other hand, knew Happosai and what he was capable of. They found nothing Shackle Bolt had said to be the least bit hard to accept.**

**Mei Lin led them to the front of a small shop along the road. **

**Ranma's English skills were weak and he couldn't make heads or tails of the sign above the door. So instead he studied the two wooden statues that stood flanking the door like cigar store Indians. The one on the left had a long beard and a tall pointy hat. It looked like that guy from the TV commercials, only taller. The one on the right though, that one looked suspiciously like the priest who had performed their wedding ceremony.**

**Being reminded of his no longer single status, he looked at Akane. He had mixed feelings about being married, he still felt he was too young for such a commitment. Remembering how Akane had pushed 'her' away in the koi pond, he was all too sure he knew how Akane felt about it.**

**It was a much subdued Ranma that followed Mei Lin and Akane into Ollivander's, crafters of fine wands.**

**Inside they found that most of the shop was taken up by row after row of storage shelves, overflowing with small boxes. They had only taken a couple of steps towards the front counter when a wiry old man with white hair and sharp features appeared from among the rows.**

"**Hello and welcome to Ollivander's, crafters of fine wands. How may I be of service?" He asked in a pleasant voice. He looked them over closely, like he was quantifying them against some unknown measure.**

"**Miss Braithwaite." He said, pointing towards Mei Lin. "A willow wand with the tears of a dryad, if memory serves me correctly. I trust the wand I made has not failed you."**

**Mei Lin gave him a slight bow, a tinge of red rising in her cheeks. Standing before the old man's gaze made her feel like she was a small girl again, come seeking her first wand.**

"**Yes sir. The wand has and still serves me well."**

"**Yes, that was a good match. You have grown to be as slender as a willow tree, with a carefree spirit and natural beauty to equal any wood nymph. Quite lovely if I dare say, quite lovely."**

**Stepping back he gave Akane and Ranma a speculative look.**

"**So, what may I do for you today?"**

**Ranma was having difficulty following their conversation, but it kind of sounded like the old man was flirting with the Chinese girl. He stepped closer to Akane, hovering possessively behind her. Fortunately she was too preoccupied to notice.**

"**Allow me to introduce Ranma and Akane Saotome, recently from Japan. They will be attending Hogwarts this coming fall and are in need of their first wands."**

**The old man looked them over closely, as if weighing them with his eyes.**

"**Hmm, most curious." He mumbled. "Saotome you say. Forgive me if I'm being too forward, but you do not look like brother and sister. Are you cousins?"**

**Akane turned a brilliant red as Mei Lin explained to the old man that they were actually man and wife.**

"**Really, and so young. Is that common in your homeland?"**

**Too embarrassed to look him in the eye, Akane shook her head no.**

"**Our fathers arranged it to unite their families and schools of martial arts."**

"**How curious. I can assume then that you are both from pure blood families? That might affect your choice in wands."**

**Akane wasn't sure what he meant by 'pure blood', but it sounded to her like he was questioning their lineage. After all the slurs the Kunos had made on their family lines, she responded a little sharper than she would have otherwise chosen to.**

"**I can assure you sir, that both the Tendo and Saotome families can trace our blood lines back to the Pechin Samurai of the kingdom of Ryūkyū in what is now Okinawa. Though Kasumi did tell me that the Saotomes also have some Chinese blood from the Kumemura village. Still, we both come from long lines of noble warriors."**

"**I meant no offense young lady. I was merely asking if you both came from families with several generations of witches and wizards. I'm afraid I know nothing of Samurai, Peking or otherwise."**

**Akane might have taken exception to his replacing the word Pechin with Peking, but decided that he really didn't have a clue what they meant and let it slide. She noticed that he was staring at her again and was about to comment on it, when he suddenly raised his finger into the air.**

"**Yes" he said as he turned away, "I believe that would do nicely."**

**As he disappeared back among the stacks, his voice drifted back to them.**

"**I pride myself on being able to match a witch or wizard with the best wand possible."**

**He returned to the store front carrying one of the small slender boxes.**

"**I believe this one will do nicely."**

**Opening the box he removed a wooden wand. It was a pale gold in color, ten inches long and a uniform three quarters of an inch in diameter from one end to the other.**

"**This wand" he told her, holding it so that one end was pointed towards her. "is made from Golden Teak native to the orient. Within it contains a scale from a Chinese Fire Bolt dragon. A fiery spirit to match a fierce will. Go ahead, try it out."**

**With more then a little trepidation, she reached out and took the wand. As soon as it came to rest within her grip, the wand was enveloped by a brilliant red aura. It perfectly matched the one she herself had been known to evince whenever Ranma suffered from a really bad case of Saotome Foot in Mouth Disease. It felt warm and, well, right in her hand.**

"**I thought so." The old man wore a satisfied smile. "That will do nicely. A better match you will not find."**

**Akane didn't know why, but felt she had to agree.**

**He was now giving Ranma the same measuring review that he had given her. Reaching out, he took Ranma's head between his hands, looking close into each eye.**

"**This one is not so clear."**

**Again he disappeared among the stacks only to return a moment later with another narrow box.**

"**Let's try this one."**

**Opening the box, he removed the wand within. This one was even larger than Akane's, being a full foot in length and one inch in diameter.**

"**Oak with a drop of giant's blood."**

**He handed it to Ranma and as soon as the shop keeper let go, the wand seemed to gain great weight pulling itself from the boy's surprised grip, striking the floor with a heavy thud.**

"**No, I guess not." The old man said under his breath. **

**He placed the dropped wand and its box on the counter behind him, then returned to the stacks. A moment later he returned with another wand. This one was barely six inches in length and slender with the thickest portion, the hand grip, being half an inch in diameter.**

"**This one is made of Ash." He was saying as he handed it to Ranma.**

**The wand merchant and the pig tailed boy both yelped in pained surprise as no sooner did the wand touch Ranma's hand, then it flared up in bright tongues of flame. It was a toss up as to which of them let go first, but either way the wand quickly fell to the floor. The fire had gone out the instant it left Ranma's hand, leaving the wand undamaged.**

"**Curious indeed." Ollivander said, shaking his hand. In all of his years running this shop, he had never seen a phoenix feather wand reject a candidate so violently.**

**Ranma was wiping his hand off on his tunic, trying to remove the feel of the wand from his skin. His face was twisted in disgust. "That felt like Saffron." He said to no one in particular.**

**Ollivander didn't know why the young man would claim a burning stick would feel like delicate chiffon material, but without waiting for an explanation he went in search of another wand. He had never failed to make a good match and he wasn't about to fail today.**

**Forty minutes and almost three dozen wands later, Ollivander's determination was being replaced by frustration. He had never had this much difficulty matching a wand to a wielder.**

**Currently he was talking to himself, trying to verbally work through the puzzle before him.**

**Throwing his hands up in dismay he muttered, "Perhaps I need to go at this backwards. Start with the impossible and work my way back." **

**Looking at the growing pile on the counter, he knew he couldn't do any worse.**

**This time when he returned to the show room, the box he was carrying was covered in a thick layer of dust. He blew it off, causing everyone in the room to cough and sneeze before it settled.**

**This wand was eight inches long and three quarters of an inch in diameter at the handle. The rest of the wand tapered to a little under a half inch at the point.**

"**This wand is made of Para wood, sometimes called rubber wood. While originally native to the Amazon in South America, many years ago it was introduced to southeast Asia. It took so well that many now call it Asian hardwood. Inside is a whisker from the beard of a unicorn, a creature so pure and good that it only partially exists in the mortal world."**

**Flinching before the expected explosion, he handed the wand to Ranma.**

**When Ranma took the wand, he found himself bathed in a warm light. It felt so good he had to fight the urge to purr contentedly.**

**Ollivander just stared at him in shock, then stared some more.**

"**Impossible." He muttered. "The muggle legends are not without some basis in truth. In all my years, I have never seen a unicorn wand accept anyone who wasn't an innocent maiden."**

**Looking Ranma in the eye, he went on to say "I won't even speculate on your experience young man, but I am quite certain that you are not a maiden, innocent or not."**

**Ranma was starting to hyperventilate in embarrassment.**

**Akane couldn't contain her laughter. "You shouldn't be so sure of that."**

**Their next stop was Malkin's Fine Robes and after thirty minutes of being shocked, burned, and literally knocked on his butt while trying to find a wand, Ranma was in no mood for clothes shopping. **

**Besides, he was hungry.**

"**I still don't understand why I need a uniform. I got along fine without before."**

**His voice had more than a little whine in it.**

**Akane was tired and yes, hungry. She was finding it difficult to exercise all of the patience her husband required.**

"**Ranma, this isn't Furinkan, you can't continue to flaunt the rules and expect no one to act."**

**She didn't mention how glad she was that Hogwarts wasn't Furinkan, or that his blatant disregard for the rules was part of the reason they were having to change schools. Given the lunacy of the Kuno clan, there was too much chance they would have had to leave regardless.**

**Akane stopped and grabbed Ranma by the arm, turning him to face her.**

"**Ranma," her voice beseeching, "please promise me that you will try to make this work. This is our last year of high school, I just want to enjoy it without the rivals, fiancées or Kunos."**

**She was staring hard into his face, her eyes pleading with him. He felt a sharp pain in his chest.**

"**Okay Akane. I promise to make this work." Then he broke his serious mien with a crooked smile. "But there ain't nothing I can do about your being a tomboy."**

**Akane would have gotten mad at his playful dig, but she still fondly remembered their conversation over the breakfast table two weeks past. The one were he unwittingly admitted to liking tomboys.**

**She graced him with a smile that melted his insides into a warm goo.**

"**Thank you Ranma. I, I really appreciate it."**

**She gave his arm an affectionate squeeze, then followed Mei Lin inside.**

**Their visit to Malkin's went quickly and problem free. Something for which Mei Lin was especially grateful. So far the afternoon had been anything but.**

**Mei Lin had shown the woman inside the shop their letters of acceptance to Hogwarts, and though the sales lady had remarked on how irregular this was she had immediately set to work measuring them for their uniforms. **

**The only hiccup had been when Akane had asked the woman if it would be possible to order a second girl's uniform in a different size. The sales lady had told her that she was sorry, but they couldn't provide it without another acceptance letter for the recipient.**

**Akane had readily accepted the answer, a look of silent amusement on her face. **

**Ranma on the other hand looked like he had eaten something extremely sour, something that was giving him terrible gas.**

**Mei Lin had no idea what this was all about, but figured from their reactions that it must be a private joke.**

**Without pursuing it any further they returned to the street outside**

"**Just one more stop," she told them, "then we'll head back to the Leaky Cauldron for dinner before taking you to your new home."**

**Akane was walking along side her, while Ranma trailed behind.**

**Ranma was too focused on his grumbling stomach to pay any attention to what she said, so it was Akane who asked "Where are we going now?"**

"**To the pet store, it's just ahead."**

"**Pets, you mean like cats?" Akane asked.**

"**Yes, but we won't be buying a cat. We need to pick up an owl to carry letters for you."**

**While Akane and Mei Lin were speaking in the street, above them George and Fred Weasley were peeking out over the roof of their recently rented building, future home of their magical joke and gag shop.**

**Early that morning, while most people were still warm in their beds, the red headed twins had braved the morning fog and rain to stretch a clear thread back and forth across the street until it covered a thirty foot stretch.**

**It was a promising new gag and they wanted to test it out on an audience. After all, a gag without an audience was just a sad joke.**

**Prepared to run if necessary and while his brother Fred kept a look out for potential trouble, George touched his wand to the end of the thread. With a small spark of magical energy, the overachieving prankster activated the spells stored within the invisible cord. This gag was supposed to cause a light rain to fall evenly over the crowded street below, it didn't quite work out that way. Instead, starting at the end where the Weasleys crouched watching, the cord caused a heavy wave of water to wash down the street, leaving wet shoppers and scattered puddles in its wake.**

**Before the shocked victims of their prank could look for the cause of their misfortune, the pair had disappeared back into their shop.**

"**Well George, that didn't work exactly the way we planned."**

"**No Fred, but then that is the reason for these little tests after all. Not to worry, we still have three months to get it right."**

"**Quite right George. I just wish we could be there when Jordan sets it off. I would love to see the look on old Snape's face."**

**They both stopped to look wistfully into the ether. Then in a show of incredible synchronicity, their faces lit up in mischievous delight.**

"**I just had…"**

"**What a wonderful idea."**

"**House Slytherin won't think so."**

"**That's what makes it so great."**

"**It would take a lot of work."**

"**Loads of extra effort, really."**

"**We would have to put a lot of other things aside…"**

"**Would it really be worth it?"**

**They stopped their half conversation and with perfect coordination shared identical smiles and said,**

"**Oh yeah, definitely worth it."**

**Then the pair raced down to their work shop. They only had three months to design a gag that while not the equal to their departure gift to Hogwarts, would still share the pleasure of their own flair of brilliance with all those they had left behind. Especially the members of House Slytherin.**

**Ranma had heard the word 'cat', and without meaning to he was now standing close behind Akane. Hiding behind her actually, warily looking for the hairy little monster.**

**Mei Lin was just about to remark on his odd behavior when the wave of water swept over the street, soaking them to the bone.**

**Mei Lin had been looking right at Ranma's face over Akane's shoulder when it happened. She was staring into his eyes, blue ones that didn't change when everything else about him did. While she watched in astonishment Ranma shrank several inches and his hair turned from black to a vibrant red. Other equally profound changes took place across his, now her body. Now standing behind Akane, behind those blue eyes, was a girl that looked a great deal like Ranma.**

**Mei Lin recognized her, she was the girl that had been with Akane when she used her magic to rescue them from the boy who later interrupted the wedding. She had assumed from the physical similarities that the girl was Ranma's sister and had wondered why she wasn't at the ceremony with the rest of the family. **

**The girl's strange absence was nothing compared to this.**

"**Who…what…" She trailed off. She didn't know what to say. This was way beyond her experience.**

**Ranma-Chan still stood behind Akane unconsciously tugging on her pig tail, squeezing out water onto her already clinging silk tunic.**

"**I'm Ranma Saotome." She gave a timid smile. "Sorry about this."**

**The people on the street had been too distracted by the falling water to notice Ranma's change, but several noticed the way her wet silks clung to her full figure. One young man whistled his appreciation.**

**Ranma threw him a dirty look and made a greater effort to hide behind Akane.**

**Akane had been expecting this to happen all afternoon. Maybe not in such a strange or dramatic fashion, but she wasn't surprised. Knowing that Ranma would be too embarrassed to act, she took the initiative herself.**

"**Perhaps it would be best if we returned to the inn. We can always get an owl later."**

**She didn't know what the importance of having an owl was, but surely it could wait until Ranma was decent again.**

**Looking at the shivering girl it was clear to her and everyone else on the street that the red head wasn't wearing a bra.**

**With a quietly muttered "Baka", Akane took off her wet sweater and handed it to her 'wife'.**

"**Put this on, your giving everyone a free peep show."**

**Proving that she had indeed learned a little feminine modesty, Ranma eeped before pulling the offered sweater over her head. While the wet garment did nothing to keep the shivering girl warm, it did protect her from leering eyes.**

**Mei Lin stared at the two girls in shock.**

"**I…you…" She swallowed, hard. "Yes, I think that would be best."**

**Promising herself that she would have an explanation from the girls before the ministry heard about this, Mei Lin led the way past the pet store and back to the Leaky Cauldron.**

**It was a little after four when Mei Lin and her charges returned to the Leaky Cauldron. Nodoka and Kasumi had yet to return, they were shopping for a household and that was bound to take longer then the few errands the newlyweds had run. **

**When they entered the common room Akane didn't give Mei Lin the chance to argue, informing her that they were going to change out of their wet clothes first before grabbing the shivering Ranma-Chan from were she stood in front of the great fireplace.**

"**Come on baka, let's get out of these wet clothes."**

**Ranma's eyes widened, her mouth hanging open. Did Akane just say what she thought she had? She grew flush, not sure if she was ready for that part of marriage. Excited by the possibility that maybe Akane was.**

**Entering their room, the ministry had arranged for two nights just in case, Akane seized her bag and threw it up onto the bed.**

**Ranma wasn't that stupid and she knew that if Akane had really been proposing that they do 'that', then she wouldn't be covering the only bed with her clothes. She deflated, relaxing, or was it from disappointment.**

**Akane noticed that Ranma was just standing there watching her. Giving the other girl a vexed look, she asked in an annoyed tone "Ranma, are you just going to stand there?"**

**Seeing that Ranma was going to do just that, she threw his bag next to hers and dug through its contents. She grabbed a shirt and pair of pants at random, not worried about her selection given the limited variety in her spouses wardrobe. When she pulled out a pair of his yellow boxer shorts she stopped, her mind replaying the sight of him changing in front of her earlier. She no longer felt quite so cold, though her shaking had increased a little. Could she change in front of him, err her? They were married after all, perhaps…no, they may be married now but she still wasn't ready for that. Besides, she thought with a bubble of amusement, her 'husband' wasn't really equipped for that kind of action right now, was she.**

**Taking his clothing she held them out to the frozen red head.**

"**Why don't you take these and go change in the bathing room. That way you can get some hot water and change back before we try to explain all of this to Mei Lin."**

**Ranma took the bundle from her. "Yea, that sounds like a good idea." She said in little more than a whisper.**

**Ranma still wasn't moving, so Akane took her by the elbow and led her to the door. After the door closed leaving her in the room alone she giggled at the memory of the glazed look in Ranma's eyes.**

"**Pervert"**

**She wasn't sure if she was talking about him, or herself.**

**Akane had changed and hung up her wet clothes in front of the room's small fireplace and Ranma had yet to return. She frowned, it shouldn't have taken the baka very long, it wasn't like he had much to take off or put on. Exiting the room she looked down the hall towards the bathing room to see a still shivering Ranma-Chan standing in the hall, carefully holding her bundle away from her torso to keep from getting it wet.**

"**Ranma," she said, approaching her. "why are you standing in the hall?"**

**The red head jumped at the sound of her voice, actually dropping her clean clothes on the floor in a bout of clumsiness.**

"**I…there is someone in there and they…I don't think their coming out very soon."**

**Akane frowned "Why not? Did they tell you that?"**

**Ranma shook her head, sending a few droplets of water Akane's way.**

"**No, I…I can hear them snoring." **

**Akane's mouth opened and closed, she wasn't sure what to do. Her first instinct was to knock loudly upon the door and wake whoever was within, but this wasn't home, wasn't even Japan and she wasn't sure if that would be seen as appropriate here. Standing there with her hands upon her hips, she had just about decided to go find Mei Lin and ask her when she noticed how pale Ranma was and how badly she was shaking. Realizing how long the poor girl had been standing in the cold and drafty hall, she decided that either course would take too long.**

"**Come on." she said, taking Ranma's elbow once again. "You'll have to change in the room."**

**They were just passing through the door when a random thought occurred to her.**

**Grinning, she mentioned to her spouse "Of course, there isn't any hot water in our room."**

**Ranma didn't seem to grasp what she was saying, so she elaborated.**

"**Since you can't change back into a guy, I guess you'll just have to stay a girl."**

**Ranma didn't look especially happy about that, but she wasn't nearly upset enough. Her grin growing larger, Akane went on.**

"**Of course, your mother will want you dressed appropriately."**

**With those words, Akane reached into Ranma's other bag and pulled out a pair of plain white panties.**

**Now Ranma understood, the wail of denial was just what she had been expecting.**

**Dropping the panties on the bed, she took the bundle of clothes from Ranma's hands, then seizing the hem of her borrowed sweater she pulled it over her head. Leaving Ranma to finish on her own, she took the dripping garment and hung it with her own clothes by the fire. She turned in time to see Ranma stepping into the dainty undergarment, sliding it up over her smooth thighs until it was hugging her more intimate curves.**

**Akane felt her knees grow weak, an unsettling warmth spreading through her. This wasn't like the locker room at school. Sure they were both girls, but this was Ranma and somehow that knowledge made this…something else.**

**Diverting her eyes, she gathered up the wet clothes from where Ranma had tossed them. Using the excuse of hanging them up to dry, she turned away, letting the heat from the fire wash over her. Once she was confident the blush had left her face, she turned to find Ranma buttoning up the front of her blouse and tucking it into a pair of feminine cut slacks. A brief flash of a bra proving that she was taking her mother's wishes serious.**

**They returned to the common room to find Mei Lin waiting at a table near the fire, a cup of hot cocoa cradled in her hands as she sipped. Two others sat upon the table before the other chairs.**

"**I took the liberty of ordering some cocoa. It will take the chill off and calm the nerves."**

**Akane nodded, her mind having a 'what's wrong with this picture' moment. She had taken her seat before she realized that the witch wasn't wearing the same clothes as before. Gone were her wet robes, replaced with a dark blue pantsuit that would fit in at any office building.**

**Where did she get the change of clothes, Akane wondered. They fit too well to be borrowed.**

**Ranma didn't notice, only having eyes for the steaming cup in front of her. She drank the hot contents too quickly, lightly burning the roof of her mouth. She didn't care, the warmth spreading out through her cold flesh bringing more pleasure than pain.**

**Mei Lin sat watching her, noticing the subtle lines of the bra under her shirt.**

"**Ranma" she said tentatively, as if trying the name out and finding it not to her liking.**

"**Why are you dressed like a girl? Why are you a girl?"**

**The warm pleasure that had been sweeping through her a moment ago turned cold. Ranma hated this part more than anything else about her curse.**

"**Mom insists that I dress like a girl…when I am one."**

**That…didn't make sense. Mei Lin had only known Ranma's mother Nodoka for a day, but in that short time she had heard the older woman make several references to her son's need to be 'manly'. **

"**Okay," Mei Lin responded, "that may explain why your dressed that way, but why are you a girl to begin with?"**

**Akane knew what was coming, having lived through it many times before, and she knew how uncomfortable Ranma was explaining his curse, so she decided to try and help.**

"**Ranma has a curse that changes him from a boy to a girl when he gets splashed with cold water. Then back to a boy with hot water."**

**Mei Lin opened her mouth to ask another question, but was rudely cut off by Ranma.**

"**I'm a guy!"**

**Well, that answered that question.**

"**So you are a boy, cursed to turn into a girl. How did this happen?"**

**With a heavy sigh, Ranma launched into the abbreviated version of the hell that was his life.**

"**When I was a kid my pop took me on a training trip to learn martial arts. When I was sixteen we went to China. Pop had an old guidebook of Chinese training grounds, but the idiot couldn't read it. So following the book, we went to Jusenkyo. It's a small valley on the slopes of Mt Quanjing in the Bayankala range, Qinghai province."**

**Mei Lin knew Chinese as well as she knew English. She recognized that the name meant something along the lines of the Pools of Sorrow.**

"**In this valley there are more than a hundred small pools, each with its own tragic story of something that drowned there. Now, anyone who falls into a pool is cursed to take on the form of what drowned there. I fell in the pool of drowned girl."**

**Mei Lin worked to fit his tale into a framework she could understand.**

"**So, if you had fallen into a different pool…"**

"**I would turn into something else. Pop fell into the pool of drowned panda and now he turns into a panda." **

**Akane added her own voice in support. **

"**We know several others who turn into different things, a duck, a cat, frog, young boy even a monster. There is a Musk prince who bears the same curse as Ranma."**

"**So" the auror asked, "Ranma and this prince, they turn into twin copies of the girl who drowned there."**

**Ranma was emphatically shaking her head no, but it was Akane who explained.**

"**No, when Ranma changes she still looks like Ranma. When Herb, that's the prince, changes she looks like Herb only female. Jusenkyo changes what you are, not who you are. Even the panda, Ranma's father, still looks like Genma Saotome, just with fur."**

"**What if someone fell into a second pool, would they now have two cursed forms?"**

**Ranma-Chan gave a bitter snort.**

"**No" Akane said in a low voice, "the curses mix, so if you fall into more than one pool…"**

"**You become a monster." Ranma finished with angry disappointment.**

**For Nodoka and Kasumi, shopping in London had been very exciting, something neither had ever believed they would be able to do. Their local guides, Patricia Henderson and Abigail Lanshear, had proven to be wonderful company and both were looking forward to having them as neighbors. **

**They were what Mei Lin called 'squibs', meaning they knew about magic but did not practice it themselves. Abigail's husband, Medwin, was a wizard and he worked at the ministry in the department of Muggle Relations. He was the one responsible for arranging a home for the Saotomes and he and his wife were given control of the funds to set up their household. The house he chose was a row house located between his family and the Henderson's, allowing them to serve as a buffer between the Asians and the muggles around them. **

**Abigail and Patricia were both still young. Abigail was the same age as Kasumi, while Patricia was not yet thirty. Kasumi fit right in and after being a virtual prisoner in her own home, it felt wonderful to have friends again. She was beginning to think that Akane being expelled from Furinkan was one of the best things to happen to the family in years. Yes, she would miss seeing Dr. Tofu, but she could still write him and it was only for a little while. Besides, Mei Lin had assured her that soon they would be able to travel back and forth to home without that horrendous plane ride.**

**For Nodoka it was like starting over. Here she was setting up a new home, one where she and her child would live together. With Kasumi and Akane along, it felt like a whole family. Genma's absence actually made it a little better, removing so much of the tension and uncertainty that normally surrounded them. As for Patricia, Abigail and Mei Lin, they were younger than her, but not that much. Patricia by less than ten years. After years of living alone, it just felt wonderful to be surrounded by people and family again.**

**Speaking of family, when they parted ways with their new neighbors and returned to the Leaky Cauldron, they found theirs seated at a table by the fire drinking hot cocoa with Mei Lin. **

**Ranma was in his girl form and the two women looked to Mei Lin, worried about what they would find, afraid that their wonderful day was going to end in a miserable night. They were relieved to see that though the Chinese/English girl was watching Ranma-Chan in fascination, her eyes lacked the glazed look of denial they normally found. Being a witch herself she found Ranma's curse to be just a small widening of her horizons, not the earth shattering experience most had when faced for the first time with proof of magic's existence.**

"**I see my son's luck with water did not hold out." Nodoka said, then bending over to give her child a quick hug she whispered to her "and I'm glad to see my daughter dressed in a decent manner."**

**Ranma blushed at her mother's display of affection, while her heart soared at her words of approval. It was enough to make wearing these women's clothes worthwhile.**

**Akane and Kasumi both felt a brief stab of jealousy, while neither begrudged Ranma the love of her mother, they couldn't help missing their own whenever they witnessed the two together. It was even harder when Ranma was a girl.**

**Now that they had arrive, Mei Lin invited the two to join them at their table, calling to the waitress to bring them some more cocoa. The young witch asked them questions about their shopping trip while they waited for the beverages to arrive, carefully avoiding the topic of Ranma's curse. When the waitress came, Mei Lin asked her to bring them some Shepherds Pie with a side of Chicken Yakatori to make the others feel like they had a piece of home. **

**When the food arrived Kasumi didn't have the heart to tell her that though the English considered the Yakatori to be Japanese food, it really wasn't. The Shepherds Pie on the other hand was delightful and new, it was also quickly gone. In spite of Nodoka's efforts to slow her daughter's eating to a more dignified pace.**

**After the food was gone and it was again acceptable to talk, Nodoka turned to her daughter and asked "What was it this time dear, a passing car, a spilled drink, or a strange little rain shower?"**

**Ranma ducked her head in embarrassment, but it was Mei Lin who answered.**

"**I believe it would probably qualify as a 'strange little rain shower', we fell victim to a water based spell. I can only speculate that it was meant as a prank. It certainly didn't seem to serve any other purpose."**

**If Mei Lin had been privy to the Weasley twins recent acquisition she would have considered it fact.**

"**I tried to warn the baka, but he always insists on trying to hide it until it comes out on its own."**

"**Akane," Kasumi chided her sister, "Ranma just wants people to get to know her first without being influenced by her little problem."**

**At which point Ranma interjected "I'm a guy damn it!"**

"**Ranma, young ladies shouldn't use foul language."**

"**Yes mother."**

**Mei Lin had debated taking the Saotomes to their new home by flu powder, after all the Lanshear house had a nice brick fireplace in their back yard that was on the network. Medwin had given them permission to use it any time they like. He even went so far as to install a gate in the fence separating their yard from his, so they could access it at anytime without disturbing the children. He and Abigail had two, a new born boy named Finley, and Bedelia a two year old girl they affectionately called Newt.**

**She seriously considered it, that would be the quickest and easiest way to go, but she was all alone with four people who had no experience with traveling by flu. She knew the stories, how many got lost exiting the wrong fireplace and the time and trouble it could take finding them again. Worse, the Saotomes were strangers to England, Ranma could barely speak any English. If they found themselves in a strange place they wouldn't be much help in finding their way back. She decided teaching them about the flu network could wait for more favorable circumstances.**

**Next she debated just side apparating them. The distance wasn't that great and she could easily take them one at a time. After all the time she had spent on airplanes bringing them to London it was really tempting, four quick hops and it would be done. Oh it was tempting, but it wouldn't do much to help the Saotomes adapt to their new home.**

**In the end she decided to endure the discomfort and take them by train. Being from Japan she knew they would be familiar with traveling by train so they should take to it quite easily. Running a household it would be necessary for them to shop and do business with muggles, especially since none of them knew how to apparate. Her mother's friend in Hong Kong had once told her that apparating was only taught to masters in the East. They even hid the knowledge that it could be done from their students least one of them try doing it before they were ready. He told her that some masters never taught it to their students, expecting them to do without or learn how on their own. Personally she considered their way an exercise in tyranny, but without a ministry to license and regulate travelers she guessed it made a cruel sort of sense.**

**She did have them gather their luggage together and with two quick trips, apparated the bags to their new home. Mei Lin would endure a lot in the name of duty, but their were limits and riding the train with luggage lay well beyond hers. The others were suitably impressed when with a twist, she disappeared with their luggage, only to reappear a moment later without it. Ranma was particularly interested, thinking about the combat advantages of being able to come and go at will. It occurred to him that this was probably the old pervert's secret way of always arriving unseen, surprising him with a bucket of water and the latest fashion in women's underclothes. Thinking about this new technique it also occurred to him that this might explain Ryouga's little trips, how he could go to China and who knew where else without ever crossing water. He would have to ask Mei Lin about that.**

**Riding the train in London was about the same as riding one in Tokyo, with only one exception, bullet trains. There is only one active high speed train in England, linking London City with the Chunnel on the southern coast. The trains one rode between different parts of the city however were nearly identical to their counterparts in Japan ( of course so is the bullet train, it was manufactured in Japan ). London is famous for its extensive underground but the trip to the Watford High St. Rail Station was a traditional above ground line. By train the trip from Westminster to Watford was just over twenty minutes, a good portion of that spent waiting on the platform. When they arrived at the High St station house they found Patricia Henderson waiting with her husband, William. **

**Mr. Henderson was also a squib and a school teacher, he worked at the Watford Grammar School for Boys. It was a muggle school for boys with a sister school for girls to the south. He was a pleasant fellow with sandy blond hair and an athletic build. He played football ( soccer ) in college and now he coached the schools team, along with a children's team from the neighborhood.**

**After introductions were out of the way, Patricia hadn't met Ranma or Akane and her husband hadn't met any of them, the couple led them from the station. The Henderson's were a little confused, they were told Ranma and Akane were newlyweds.**

**Outside the station they caught a bus on Lower High St ( funny name that ) which took them to King St, over to Exchange Rd, then up to Market St where they disembarked. William told them that their house was on Percy Rd just a short throw down Market St on the North side. They would have to walk but he assured them it wasn't very far. The ladies from Nerima didn't say anything to that, just nodding. They were all used to walking considerable distances and Ranma hadn't understood enough of what he said beyond walk, to comment. For this reason Ranma was trying not to speak in English if she didn't have to. She was sure that if she did she would sound just as ditzy as Shampoo.**

**Their new home was a two story row house, meaning that it shared common walls with the houses on both sides. The front lawn was made up of a sidewalk and a flower box beneath a large bay window. Mr. Henderson pointed out his and Patricia's house to the west, and the Lanshear's on the east.**

**Ranma looked at the absent yard with a frown.**

"**Where are we supposed to practice?" she asked in a plaintive voice. Some would call it whining.**

**Mr. Henderson didn't speak Japanese, so Akane translated.**

"**Well there is a back yard, but if you need more space there is a large practice field to the west on Cassio Rd. If that won't do then I could probably arrange for you to use the gym at the Grammar school early in the morning."**

**Mei Lin interrupted.**

"**I don't think either of those will work. The kind of practice the Saotomes are planning shouldn't be done where muggles might see them, if you know what I mean."**

**William wore a perplexed look as he considered their options.**

"**There is Cassiobury Park to the north. It is pretty large with some wooded areas that might help protect you from being seen, perhaps with the help of a few spells. I think you'll have to speak with Medwin, he would know your options when it comes to muggles."**

**With nothing more to add he produced a key and opened the front door leading them into a short hall. To the right was a front sitting room, it was here that the bay window looked out. Down the hall further was the kitchen, dinning area, a water closet and the stairs to the bedrooms on the upper floor. He gave the key to Nodoka then Patricia led them on a quick tour of the up stairs. There were three bedrooms, one for Nodoka and another for Kasumi. She apologized but they had been told that the other two were married so had planned for them to share a room.**

**Akane was embarrassed and Ranma didn't know what she was talking about. It was Nodoka who decided that enough was enough and Ranma would just have to deal with it.**

"**There is an explanation for that." She said in English. "I think it would be best if we went to the kitchen and demonstrate." Turning to her daughter she continued in Japanese. "Ranma, I'm sorry but you will have to tell them about your curse."**

**Ranma scowled at that.**

"**I know dear, but they are going to find out eventually and it would save a great deal of confusion if we just told them now. Look what happened with Miss Braithwaite, do you want to go through that again?"**

**Ranma was still scowling but she gave in to her mother's wishes.**

**They had seen their luggage in the front room were Mei Lin had left it, so Nodoka told Ranma to change into something more appropriate then join them in the kitchen.**

**The Henderson's are squibs, they know about magic, but they didn't often get to participate in it. That is why poor Ranma spent the nest thirty minutes getting extremely wet. They were worse than Ukyo.**

**Ranma was a boy again, but he still wasn't happy. He just knew he was going to have to do this all over again with the Lanshear's. **

**This did not bode well for the future.**

**The night before they had been too tired to deal with the issue, but now they had time and Kasumi wasn't comfortable with Ranma and Akane sharing a room yet. She felt the young couple wasn't ready, Akane was inclined to agree. **

**Nodoka wanted them together, raising the odds that she would be a grandmother sooner rather then later. Seeing how uncomfortable they were just talking about it, she decided not to push it. She didn't want them to start fighting their marriage the same way they once fought the engagement.**

**That left the question of where to put Ranma. They decided that his clothes, both sets, could go in Akane's room which would also be his for all intents and purposes, but where would he sleep.**

**Before anyone could even make a suggestion, Mei Lin vetoed the cupboard under the stairs. They honestly never would have considered it, but still they were surprised by how strongly she seemed to feel about it. In the end it was decided that he could sleep in the storage room downstairs. There were no windows and the floor was concrete, but Mei Lin assured them that a few simple spells could keep it vermin free. While a throw rug and small space heater would make it comfortable. Ranma wasn't happy with the arrangement, but he had slept in far worse places during the training trip so he agreed. **

**Mostly he wasn't happy because it would put him so far away from Akane. He told himself that they had left all of the dangers behind in Nerima, but considering that most of the threats didn't originate in Japan that wasn't making him feel much better.**

**In spite of the exhausting days before, the extended Saotome clan stayed up late their first night in Watford. The excitement of their trip, the unfamiliarity of their surroundings, and the exhilaration that came with imagined future possibilities all combined to make them restless. Long after Mei Lin left, they were up discussing plans for the days ahead. Nodoka and Kasumi wanted to attend orchestra and ballet performances, while Akane especially wanted to see the play 'Romeo and Juliet' performed by a true Shakespearian company. "So the baka here can see how it was **_**supposed**_** to be done."**

**All three of them intended to spend days wandering the famous British Museum.**

**Ranma on the other hand, was not so optimistic of the days ahead. Mei Lin's admonition that the muggles were not to see them practicing their art was going to make things difficult. He had seen the back yard of their new home and while it was fine for practicing basic kata, there was no way they were going to be able to work on their higher techniques without attracting attention. It didn't help that on the other side of the equipment shed at the far end of their property, was another back yard behind another home. One filled with muggles, and they were in another row house with their own close muggle neighbors. **

**He couldn't understand why Mei Lin and her 'ministry' were so preoccupied with muggles. Back home they practiced and even fought within the sight of the touki-rui. They never worried about what the uninitiated might think. Most convinced themselves that it was all a trick anyway. Their only rule was that they didn't use their higher techniques to bully those weaker then themselves, which included all of the touki-rui.**

"**How are we supposed to teach this class at Hoggle's if we can't practice all summer?" He had asked Mei Lin. "At the least we need to be able to take training trips were we can really work out."**

"**That's Hogwarts." She corrected. Then promised that she would work with Mr. Lanshear to provide them an opportunity to practice without restriction. "Trust me." she said, "I want this to work as much as anyone."**

**He would have argued further but Akane had leaned in close, elbow leading the way.**

"**Remember your promise." she whispered rather loudly. "We will make this work, so don't sabotage it by being stubborn."**

**After that he had settled down to quietly pout.**

**Eventually they wound down enough to seek their beds. Nodoka, Kasumi and Akane retreated to their rooms upstairs. Ranma fetched his bed roll from his camping gear **

**( never leave home without it ) and bedded down in the front room. Mei Lin had promised that in the morning they would acquire a bed and heater for his room in the basement. Boy was he excited about that.**

**Not that it mattered much anyway. Despite being so tired after only three hours he had woken up, anxiety eating away at him, making him restive. He withstood it for as long as he could, but eventually he gave in. Leaving his bed roll, he crept quietly up the stairs listening at each door. Then he went outside and with two prodigious leaps up the back of the house he was on the roof. Standing above Akane's room, like he was want to at home, he surveyed the neighborhood. If he ignored the differences in architectural style and the abundance of brick in construction, Watford looked a great deal like Nerima. The houses were closely packed together with spots of green and tall trees breaking up the scenery. The roads were wider with more cars then he was used to seeing. Looking up at the heavens he couldn't see very many stars, the abundance of artificial lights lining the streets hiding them. The lights from the nearby Harlequin Shopping Center alone blanked out a quarter of the sky. Another difference, Nerima wasn't nearly so bright at night.**

**Ranma sat up there for several minutes, learning the rhythm and flow of the neighborhood at night until his spirit calmed. Then dropping off the back of the house he stopped in the kitchen for a drink, there wasn't any food in the house yet, so he returned at last to his bed roll.**

**Wednesday morning Ranma was roused from a troubled sleep by the sound of Kasumi moving around in the kitchen. Giving up on getting any further sleep he rolled his bedding up and stuffed it in the corner. Padding down the hall in his t-shirt and boxers, he found Kasumi in the kitchen. She had lit the stove and was now cracking eggs he knew they didn't have last night, into a cast iron pan he had never seen before.**

"**Good morning Ranma." she greeted cheerfully.**

"**Morning Kasumi."**

**On the counter he spotted a basket filled with odd looking food. Taking a quick inventory he asked his sister-in-law "Uh Kasumi, were did all of this come from?"**

"**Oh, Mrs. Henderson dropped it off this morning. She promised to take your mother and I shopping for groceries before lunch, but this will have to do for now."**

"**That was nice of her." He meant it. If there was one thing a Saotome could appreciate it was free food.**

"**I'm gonna go clean up. Don't let Akane leave without me, we need to look for someplace we can workout."**

"**Don't worry Ranma, no one is leaving till after breakfast. While that shepherd's pie was delicious, it wasn't nearly enough to make up for the terrible airplane food we ate crossing two oceans and America."**

**Her face lit up with a childish look of wonder. "I still can't believe we are in England! This is all so exciting!"**

"**Yea Kasumi, it's really something."**

**Chuckling he left the kitchen and entered the water closet.**

**Kasumi had a mischievous little grin on her face, keeping her eyes on the pan of eggs while waiting for what she knew was coming. A moment later her patience was rewarded by a high feminine squeal of surprise.**

**A topless Ranma-Chan came running into the kitchen, her damp hair hanging over her eyes and down her back. She ran to the sink turning on the water, waiting for it to turn warm.**

**Being careful not to turn where the other girl could see her, Kasumi kept her voice happily neutral.**

"**I'm sorry Ranma, there is no hot water. Apparently the pilot light has gone out and I couldn't figure out how to light it. Mrs. Henderson promised to send her husband over to light it before he left for school. Until then I'm afraid you'll just have to remain a girl."**

**It took all of the self control she could muster to keep from laughing out loud at the cute little sounds Ranma was making behind her.**

**It was at that moment that Nodoka and Akane came down the hall, still in their night clothes.**

"**Ranma!" Akane said with a note of exasperation.**

"**Ranma dear," Nodoka interrupted before things got out of control, "a young lady shouldn't wander around the house half naked. Please go put some clothes on."**

"**But mom, there's no guys here but me."**

"**Right now dear, but what if Mr. Henderson or Lanshear were to drop by. While I am sure such manly gentlemen would appreciate your beauty, it wouldn't be appropriate for a young lady to share that much of herself with anyone but her spouse. You should only share those," gesturing to her daughter's bountiful breasts, "with Akane."**

**Akane flushed red with embarrassment having been caught staring at Ranma's assets. Voice filled with indignation she defended herself.**

"**Aunty, I'm not interested in girls that way!"**

**Giving her daughter-in-law a mother's smile, Nodoka sought to reassure her. **

"**Ranma isn't a girl Akane dear, she is your husband and it is only right that you should be attracted to her that way. Don't be ashamed of your womanly desires, and please call me mother. Now that you and Ranma are married I would appreciate it if you thought of me that way." Turning to the eldest Tendo, "You to Kasumi, I would like to think of you both as my daughters, Nabiki to."**

"**Yes mother." they both said, a small catch in their voices.**

**Nodoka couldn't contain her joy anymore.**

"**Isn't this wonderful! I get to spend the summer living with my girls!"**

"**Mom!"**

**That was Ranma.**

**Finished eating, Akane rose from her chair at the western style table and gathered her plates.**

"**I'm going jogging. I want to look around the neighborhood."**

"**Wait for me Akane." Ranma quickly gathered her own plates. Mr. Henderson still hadn't come by and she had resigned herself to spending the morning as a girl. "I want to check out that park Mr. Henderson mentioned, see if we can work out there."**

**Akane just nodded. She didn't admit it out loud, but she was happy for the company.**

"**Wait you two, Kasumi told me that neither of you brought clothes appropriate for the cold so we picked up a few things for you."**

**Among the things they had picked up was a set of pastel yellow sweats for Akane, and to Ranma's dismay an equally pastel set of green sweats for her.**

"**That shade goes wonderfully with the red in your hair dear." Nodoka had responded to her complaints about the girly outfit.**

"**Oh, your right mother. I don't think that her hairstyle is appropriate for England though."**

**Before Ranma knew what was happening the eldest Tendo had undone her pigtail, replacing it with a French braid.**

"**Yes Kasumi dear, this is a much better hairstyle for a pretty young lady." **

**Taking Ranma by the hands, Nodoka held her daughter's arms out so she could get a better look at her. Smiling in approval, she took a closer look at Ranma's hands. A look of consternation came over her features. "Kasumi dear, do you have any nail polish that would go with this color?"**

**With a frightened squeal, Ranma broke free and grabbing Akane by the hand made good her escape before her mother could get carried away.**

**No sooner had the younger girls left the house then the older two broke out in laughter. After several minutes of giggling, Kasumi finally found the breath to ask "Don't you think it might be too cruel teasing Ranma that way. You know how sensitive he is about being a girl."**

"**I know dear, but Ranma needs to accept that sometimes he is a girl and act in a manner that be fit's a dignified young lady. She can't go through her life being such a tomboy. Sometimes the way she behaves is truly scandalous. Besides," Nodoka added with a giggle, "the faces and little sounds she makes are so precious!"**

**Having escaped the house without garnering anymore girlish accouterments, Ranma and Akane headed west, then north up Francis Rd followed by an equally short sprint west down Marlborough to Cassio Rd. **

**They ran up Cassio until it intersected with Upton. Waiting at the intersection for traffic to clear, Cassio was a major traffic lane for the neighborhood, they could see a large playing field across the street. To Ranma's disappointment the only fences they had seen were the ones behind the houses. How were they going to work on Akane's balance if they couldn't run fences.**

**The playing field was unbelievably large. The grassy area could have held all of Furinkan and its own playing field, while still leaving enough room to play soccer. Along the south edge of the field were no less then ten regulation size tennis courts, three grass, three tarmac, and the last four were clay. In the north west corner was a large field house, running down the west edge beside it was a string of buildings that included concession stands and a common area with tables under green and yellow umbrellas made from fiberglass.**

**Instead of being overjoyed by what they had found, the sight of the field gave them feelings of frustration. This would be perfect for working out in, it was plenty large enough and close to home. If only they didn't have to hide from the muggles.**

"**At least we'll have a place to run without having to worry about traffic." Akane was trying to cheer up her spouse in spite of her own disappointment. The last two weeks training with Ranma had been some of the best in her life and she didn't want to lose that.**

"**Come on Akane, Mr. Henderson mentioned a park to the north. Let's go see what that is like, after all if the playground is this big the park must be huge."**

**They continued up Cassio to Rickmansworth Rd, another major thorough fare. Looking across this intersection they could see what appeared to be a wooded area. Darting across the street with the help of a grassy medium, they found themselves on a running or bike trail going north west into the trees. They ran down that trail passing several branching paths but choosing to stay on this one as it ran pretty straight, deeper into the park. They had run for a respectable distance and not only had they not come to the other side of the park, the wooded area to the south opened up into an open field big enough Ranma swore they could fit half of Nerima in it. He was wrong, but he hadn't seen open space that big outside of China. In Japan any area that big that wasn't filled with buildings, was a vertical one. Still the path continued on. Sharing a grin, the two girls took off as fast as they could go. As they continued west the open area to the south became a large fairground, complete with a small train.**

**Running on the downward sloping ground returned to thick woods, the space between the trees growing increasingly damp giving rise to watery flower beds. Continuing on the path they came to a river, its banks shaped by the hands of men. Crossing an iron bridge overlooking some sort of river gates, the path they followed began to rise as the ground now sloped upwards away from the river.**

**Reaching higher ground the path edged along and passed through the open fairways of a golf course. **

**Akane's father played golf and she knew that if he learned of this place he would definitely wish to visit. She shared another smile with Ranma as they ran on, this place was incredible.**

**Leaving the golf course behind the path cut straight through increasingly dense woodlands. Seeing nothing but trees ahead and to both sides, with a long stretch of the same behind them, Ranma put a hand on Akane's shoulder calling for her to stop.**

"**What is it Ranma?" She asked.**

"**I want to get a look around." The red head answered.**

**Not seeing anyone around, muggle or otherwise, Ranma picked out a tall cedar tree. Using her chi she ran straight up the tree, bouncing from branch to branch when they got in the way. Reaching the top of her improvised lookout, she gazed with wonder at what awaited her. To the north the trees thinned out into more open grassland, but to the south and continuing west there was nothing but trees for as far as she could see. An infectious grin plastered across her face she bounced back down through the branches to rejoin Akane on the path below.**

"**You won't believe this Akane." she said, breathless with excitement. Gesturing south and to the west she said "There ain't nothing but trees as far as you can see."**

**Turning back to her spouses answering smile, she went on.**

"**I bet if we look long enough we'll find a clearing among all those trees that would be perfect for practicing in, a place were no one will see us."**

**They spent the rest of the morning racing through the trees, playing impromptu games of tag. In their playful search they found several clearings Ranma announced would serve their proposes.**

"**This is great!" Ranma shouted out to the trees. "This will be just like going on a training trip without leaving home!" Akane couldn't resist Ranma's good spirits and found herself laughing and playing like a child again.**

**They continued playing in the trees, working on their balance by running along branches, leaping from tree to tree until the growling of Ranma's stomach told them it was time to return home. Once back on the path they ran east with light steps and eager smiles.**

**Without realizing it Ranma and Akane had spent hours playing among the trees and by the time they returned home they found Nodoka, Kasumi, Patricia Henderson and Abigail Lanshear unloading groceries in the kitchen. Running in they were breathless with excitement. The other ladies turned to look at the pair. They couldn't help it, the newlyweds were giving off a palpable aura of energy so strong it made one giddy just being near it.**

"**Kasumi, mother Nodoka, you won't believe what we found!"**

**Akane started, but Ranma finished.**

"**We found an honest to kami forest. Its so huge we never reached the far side. I bet it's as big as Nerima!"**

"**Ranma thinks it will be the perfect place to practice. No one can see us and we can even run the tree branches for balance training!" That was Akane again.**

**Neither Patricia or Abigail understood Japanese, so they had no idea what the pair was talking about. That didn't hide their obvious excitement over what ever it was.**

**Abigail was staring intently at Ranma-Chan, trying to see the boy within. The others had told her about Ranma's curse while they were shopping, but try as she might, she just couldn't see a boy inside this red headed beauty in green sweats and braided hair. Patricia had vouched for it so she knew this really was a boy named Ranma, but all she could see was an excited young lady. Even the way she was bouncing around in excitement was feminine.**

**Kasumi was aware that their guests/hosts didn't speak Japanese, so she translated what was being said.**

**Patricia was the first to grasp what they were talking about. After listening to the pair going on about where they went and what they found, with Kasumi's help, she exclaimed in surprise.**

"**You say you crossed the river and a golf course? You must have gone all the way to Whippendell Wood, why that's almost three kilometers away. That is quite the jog."**

**She was speaking in English so now it was Ranma who had trouble following the conversation. Akane understood well enough so she was the one to answer.**

"**Three kilometers is nothing. I ran over six every morning back home. This just means we can get our jogging and our training all done at the same time. It's great!"**

**Ranma was so excited she failed to notice the rubber ball rolling across the kitchen floor until her foot landed on it, sending her sprawling on the floor with an audible thump.**

**Moaning and rubbing her bottom, she looked up into clear green eyes. Standing above her was a small toddler, maybe two years old. The little girl had blonde hair pulled into two ponytails that hung down her back, and a scattering of freckles across her dainty nose. She was wearing light blue coveralls with a white bunny on the bib, over a yellow long sleeved shirt.**

"**Newt! Be careful." Abigail cried in gentle reproach, then helped Ranma to her feet.**

**Ranma didn't understand exactly what was said, but the little girls tears made it clear she was being reprimanded.**

**Akane quickly snatched the girl up in a comforting hug.**

"**It's okay." she said to her in English. "Ranma wasn't hurt and it was an accident."**

**The little girl, Newt, held tightly to Akane, burying her head in her shoulder. Akane just held her, making gentle rocking motions and whispering reassurances in her ear. After a few minutes Newt stopped crying and lifted her head up to look around the room. Seeing Ranma she twisted away from Akane's shoulder and held out her arms, wanting the red head to hold her.**

"**Uh, what does she want?" Ranma asked in a worried voice.**

**Abigail didn't understand Japanese, but she did recognize the nervous discomfort on the girl's face.**

"**She wants you to hold her, so she'll know you aren't mad at her."**

**Ranma might have stood there staring for all eternity, but with a quiet "Baka" Akane thrust the little girl into her arms. It was at that moment that crying was heard coming from the front room.**

"**It sounds like Finley is awake." Abigail announced.**

**Then the predictable happened, with the exception of Ranma and the little girl in her arms, all of the ladies rushed into the front room to see the baby. Whom Abigail, like any young mother, was proud to show off. Little Finley was only three months old. He had the same green eyes and blonde hair as his sister, along with the same smattering of freckles. He also had a very healthy set of lungs, along with a healthy bladder and full diaper as they discovered upon picking him up.**

**The ladies spent several minutes in the front room, passing the little boy around before returning to the kitchen to finish putting things away. Coming back they found Ranma-Chan seated Indian style on the floor, little Newt sitting in her lap giggling. Ranma was teaching her how to throw the ball against the cabinets so that it would bounce back to her. Ranma was having to do all of the catching despite Newt's best efforts, but the little girl quickly picked up on the throwing part. Ranma thought she might have the potential to pitch baseball. The child's joyful innocence touched something within her, the part of her that was accepted by a Unicorn wand and she was enjoying playing with her. She was actually giggling. All in all it was a true Hallmark moment and like all such it didn't last. Eventually the two realized they had an audience. At which point Ranma ducked her head in embarrassment, while Newt ran to her mommy grabbing her leg and proudly showing her the ball.**

**Akane sat at the table holding baby Finley while the other women returned to their task, Newt wandering around under foot trying to help. None of the women minded, Nodoka actually enjoyed the little girl's efforts. It reminded her of when Ranma was young, before she lost him.**

**Ranma announced to anyone that cared that she was going to go change. Not missing the double meaning, Kasumi stopped her.**

"**I'm sorry Ranma, but there is still no hot water."**

"**Nani?" Ranma said in dismay.**

"**Mr. Henderson stopped by, but it turns out our hot water heater is electric and doesn't have a pilot light to go out."**

"**Then why don't we have hot water?"**

"**He told me we had a blown fuse, but he promised to pick one up for us after school."**

**She gave the depressed girl an apologetic smile.**

"**I'm sorry Ranma, but I'm afraid your going to have to remain a girl for a while yet. Unless of course Patricia or Abigail brought you some hot water from one of their homes."**

**Ranma just sighed. "That's okay Kasumi. I can wait, it's no big deal."**

**Kasumi frowned, she really wasn't sure if it was a big deal to Ranma or not. Sometimes she seemed so comfortable being a girl, maybe more than she was being a boy. At other times she was so desperate to return to her birth form, afraid and insecure in her manhood. 'Mother Nodoka is right', she thought, 'Ranma still hasn't learned to accept herself'. She had been through this before with Akane, but somehow she didn't think dressing Ranma up in pretty clothes and teaching her how to put on make up would have the same effect. She hopped Nodoka had a better idea ( actually that was Nodoka's plan, poor Ranma ).**

**Later that afternoon Mr. Henderson came by with a new fuse for their hot water heater. It took a little while but soon enough Ranma was back in his regular clothes and original form. Abigail was fascinated by the change, at last able to see the same person in both forms. She still wouldn't have been able to guess if Ranma was really a boy or a girl. As for little Newt, just stared at the changed Ranma in wonder ( so much for concrete operations ). William and Patricia had to return home and see to their own children, but Abigail and the recently arrived Medwin invited the Saotomes to join them in their own back yard for dinner. Mei Lin also joined them and now that both she and Medwin were present, Akane broached the subject of her and Ranma's training and their morning discovery.**

**Medwin frowned as he listened to them list their training requirements. Normally student wizards and witches of their age just practiced within the privacy of their own homes or waited till they returned to school. Ranma and Akane on the other hand insisted that they be able to train every morning and they needed a lot of space. **

"**Well, a clearing in the Whippendell Woods might be acceptable." He said, face scrunched up in thought. "The trees would protect you from sight and there are spells that would dissuade muggles from approaching without their ever realizing it. I would have to see the clearing myself and cast the spells."**

**Akane explained what he said to Ranma who had only understood every third word. Seeing their growing excitement, Medwin went on to say**

"**The spells will have to be renewed every month, so you will have to learn to cast them yourselves if you wish to continue training there."**

**Akane and Ranma were too excited to be dissuaded and quickly promised to learn the necessary spells. That said Medwin and Mei Lin agreed to join the pair for their morning workout in the park.**

**That night it was a far happier Ranma that bedded down in the storage room. He even managed to sleep through the night. **

**Thursday morning Ranma woke to a familiar feeling, namely cold water dripping down her face. Akane was standing over her bed holding an empty glass.**

"**Get up baka, Mei Lin is already here and Mr. Lanshear is waiting for our call."**

**With that, she sped up the stairs to prepare herself.**

**It was a grumbling Ranma-Chan who entered the kitchen to find Kasumi and Nodoka preparing breakfast. Mei Lin was seated at the table, sipping a cup of tea.**

"**Good morning Ranma." Kasumi greeted her.**

"**Ranma dear." **

**Bleary eyed, Ranma turned to her mother.**

"**It's a rainy day out. I think it would be best if you went out as a girl today."**

**Ranma wanted to argue, but this was her mother.**

"**Okay Mom."**

**She went on to the water closet to get ready.**

**Thirty minutes later they had finished breakfast and Medwin Lanshear had arrived by the gate in the back yard. Now they were seated in the front room, Ranma and Akane again wearing their pastel running suits. With Medwin and Mei Lin waiting for them Ranma hadn't been able to escape in time, and again Kasumi and her mother had put her hair in a braid. Her lips were also a darker shade them normal, thanks to a slight application of lip stick. Her mother had already admonished her from rubbing it off.**

**Nodoka didn't intend to force Ranma to adopt girlish habits all of the time, but she felt the occasional indulgence would help her to accept who she was. As far as the lipstick was concerned, she felt it would be easier on Ranma if she first wore it when she was going to be alone with Akane. Think of it as a mild form of shock therapy.**

**Medwin was looking at the female Ranma, noting her hair and the slight touch of make up when he decided now would be the best time to broach a subject of some concern.**

"**Ladies." Once he had their attention, "There is an issue I feel we need to address now before it causes a problem."**

"**What is that Medwin?" Mei Lin hadn't heard of any concerns.**

"**It involves Ranma's curse. I'm afraid if the neighbors hear you calling her by the same name as her boy form, they might start to ask questions. Possibly even start seeking answers on their own."**

**This last he directed at Ranma herself.**

"**I think it would be best if you went by a different name while in your female form."**

**He was surprised to see the Saotome women relax. This was not the response he had expected from the proud ladies.**

"**Is that all?" Akane asked with some disbelief.**

"**Akane is right." Nodoka said, "I'm afraid my child has experience at such subterfuge. We call her Ranko when necessary."**

**Medwin didn't think Nodoka looked too happy about it, neither did Ranma, but it should prevent any confusion among the neighbors.**

"**Then from now on we will refer to you as Ranko whenever you are female Miss Saotome. I will see to creating the proper paperwork for your second identity later today."**

'**Oh joy' Ranma, now Ranko thought.**

**The skies were overcast, threatening rain at any time. The wet street and sidewalk were proof that the threat had been carried out recently. Ranma and Akane were all set to begin jogging, a true artist didn't allow a little rain to keep them from training, but Medwin and Mei Lin felt differently. So instead the four of them climbed into Medwin's car, a white Audi 80 four door. Ranma and Akane had limited experience with automobiles and this small car was still much bigger than most they had seen in Japan. To them it seemed like an extravagant luxury.**

**Medwin didn't follow their previous route up Cassio, instead heading west through the neighborhood on a road named, coincidentally enough, Whippendell. Passing through two traffic circles and crossing the Gade river, the road changed to Watford Rd, then at a third circle they turned off onto Baldwins Ln. Shortly after crossing some railroad tracks they turned north off of Baldwin and headed up a small road named Lodge End. On the left were the fenced in back yards of houses. On the right a line of trees. This road ended in an east west running road named Rousebarn, which headed into the trees. Going east they soon pulled into a large parking lot next to a large and expensive looking building. A stately sign proudly declared this place to be the 'West Herts Golf Club'. It turned out Medwin was a member for his job often required him to deal with important muggles and experience had shown that they were most comfortable doing business while playing a round, the large open greens between holes providing the necessary privacy. Though they hadn't come prepared for golf, Medwin borrowed a large golf cart and proceeded to drive them to the fourth hole.**

**Looking at the immaculately manicured lawns going by, Akane worked up the courage to ask something that had been on her mind since learning of the golf course the morning before.**

"**Mr. Lanshear."**

"**Yes Akane."**

"**If my father came to visit us from Japan, would it be possible for him to play golf here? I know he would really appreciate it."**

**Medwin smiled at her. "When your father comes to visit I'm sure we can arrange a few rounds for him. It won't be a problem."**

**Akane was happy to hear that. While she didn't really care if Genma came to England, she did want to show her father how well they were doing.**

**The fourth hole was where the path Akane and Ranma had been running on the morning before crossed the golf course and it was here they left the cart and proceeded on foot.**

**The young artists were anxious to begin their work out and it took an impressive display of will power to keep to the slow pace set by the older two. Mei Lin smiled at their youthful exuberance.**

**Before too long, Ranma and Akane led the way off of the trail and into the trees. Once away from view of the trail, the young couple took to those trees. Running up and down trunks and along branches, leaping from tree to tree, they were just as at home here as if they were squirrels. Flying squirrels.**

**Medwin and Mei Lin watched in amazement. It wasn't just that their feats were impressive, it was the way the magic required to do it came to them so naturally. They made it look like it wasn't really magic, just them.**

**Medwin didn't know anything about the eastern traditions and had seriously doubted it was truly any different from the magic he practiced. He was now being disabused of that fallacy. Suddenly he had a vision of little Newt leaping from walls, to couch, to chairs and tables in his home. Swallowing he thought to himself 'this might not be such a good idea'.**

**After Ranma and Akane showed them several promising clearings, Medwin signed off on their plan. Then he and Mei Lin proceeded to circle the area, casting misdirection spells along the way.**

**While they did that Ranma and Akane worked out.**

**Mei Lin and Medwin finished and stood watching the two. Ranma was trying to show Akane how to extend her chi beyond her flesh. Ranma fired off a couple of Moko Tokabisha in demonstration.**

**Mei Lin had never seen this level of eastern magic before, she doubted many had.**

**Medwin was shocked to see the girl doing it without a wand, he couldn't do it without a wand.**

**Seeing their audience, Akane stopped long enough to tell them that they didn't have to wait for them. She told them that she and Ranma wanted to run back as part of their workout.**

**Mei Lin and Medwin watched for a while longer before heading back to the cart.**

"**They certainly have a lot of energy." Medwin said along the way. "I can't imagine the students at Hogwarts engaging in that level of physical activity."**

"**True," Mei Lin agreed, "but then the students at Hogwarts have never learned how to use magic to augment their bodies. What we saw here today was only a glimpse of what those two are capable of. Not only can they act in defiance of gravity, they are inhumanly strong and fast. They can also shrug off blows that would kill you or I."**

**Medwin reconsidered letting Newt learn their form of magic. Like any parent he worried about the future and safety of his children and skills like those would go a long ways towards protecting them from Death Eaters.**

**In the days that followed, Akane and Ranma-Chan ( the rain lasted for several days ) happily started each morning racing off to their training ground in the woods.**

**Abigail and her children became regular fixtures in the Saotome home, with Patricia spending a good portion of her afternoons there as well.**

**To his consternation Ranma discovered that well Newt was very attached to Ranma-Chan, she wasn't sure what to make of Ranma. As a consequence he was roped into spending more of his time at home in his girl form.**

**One afternoon the ladies were surprised to find Ranma-Chan and Newt in the back yard. Ranma trying to speak to her in pigeon English, which sounded like baby talk which was just fine with Newt. Ranma was trying to teach her a beginner's stance and proving surprisingly successful. Entranced by the sight of her 'wife' working with the little girl and a little afraid that Ranma would unwittingly start to imitate her father's methods, Akane joined in.**

**Afterwards the two discussed ways they could teach Newt, working together to create a course of study for the young girl.**

**Ranma was getting a chance to practice his English without feeling self-conscious, and together he and Akane prepared themselves to teach their class at Hogwarts.**

**Newt loved every minute of it.**

**Life at the Saotome home in England settled into a routine. While Ranma and Akane trained, Kasumi and Nodoka would do housework. Then in the time left before lunch, they would work with Ranma and Akane on their English. Something in which Ranma needed the most help. After lunch Kasumi and Nodoka would help them study the things they should be learning in high school. The early evenings before dinner, were spent with Mei Lin and sometimes others learning how to use their wands and the rules of wizard society. **

**Nodoka and Kasumi usually sat in on these lessons as well. The older women found them fascinating and wondered if maybe they too could learn to do magic. **

**Nodoka came from a traditional home and her father believed that women should remain in the home, like Genma he believed that women shouldn't learn martial arts. She accepted her place, even marrying a man who was much like her father in attitudes, but she had always wished she could learn.**

**Kasumi had started learning the art from her father, just like Akane, but she had never been as devoted to it. When their mother died, any interest she might have had was side tracked by the needs of her family. Now she watched Mei Lin and this western wand magic and found it more to her liking. It wasn't the arts, it wasn't focused on combat and many of the spells they learned of could even help in the home. It was, they felt, far more practical.**

**An early Tuesday morning in July found Akane and Ranma ( male form ) working out in their private clearing in Whippendell Woods. The daily workouts had greatly improved Akane's skills and while she wasn't yet Ranma's equal in the art, she was now racing through the trees and firing off chi balls with misleading ease. **

**To Ranma's frustration the art wasn't the only thing they had been practicing for the last two months, but it was the only thing he was doing better than her. **

**The daily study sessions had gone a long way towards making up for all of the schooling he had missed on his training trip and his English was now as good as any London gutter punks, but he was starting from way behind and Akane hadn't been sitting idle while he learned. Her own English had improved to the point that when she answered the phone the person on the other end could no longer tell English was her second language. **

**The same could be said for Kasumi and Nodoka. **

**To add insult to injury Mei Lin had introduced the two to the sport of fencing, both English and Chinese and the young couple really took to it since it gave them a chance to exercise their competitive spirits against someone besides each other. The problem was that while the Saotome School of Anything Goes doesn't take weapon use seriously, the Tendo branch does. This meant that while Ranma was passably familiar with the use of swords, Akane had dedicated training and practice in Kendo to call on. Akane had been ecstatic to discover an area of the arts were she actually surpassed her pig tailed fiancé.**

**Western wand magic was another area were she was leaving him behind. The two had promised Medwin that they would learn to cast the misdirection spells to protect the privacy of their training grounds themselves, but when the time came only Akane had been able to do so. Ranma was still struggling to master the simple spells normally taught to first years at Hogwarts. **

**To his dismay they discovered that he did better casting spells when in his female form. Medwin theorized that maybe it was because somehow the magic of his curse was being more cooperative or even helpful. Mei Lin theorized that it was because his unicorn wand responded better to a girl. She had jokingly gone on to advise him not to lose his virginity least he lose all ability to use the wand as a boy. Both Ranma and Akane had turned bright red at that, while Kasumi and Nodoka joined Mei Lin in a long round of laughter.**

**Ranma didn't say anything but he felt there was little danger of that happening. Getting away from Nerima had proven extremely good for the newlywed's relationship and they were quickly becoming the closest of friends, but they hadn't advanced far enough to feel comfortable with that kind of relationship. In fact Mei Lin had noticed that the couple seemed closer when Ranma was a girl, like all the awkwardness and discomfort they felt with each other and their relationship vanished when they were the same gender.**

**Nodoka had noticed this to and found it troubling. While she was delighted with how close the two were growing she worried that the complete lack of sexual tension would lead to their not being any and no sex meant no grandchildren. So she had instigated Friday date nights, insisting that Ranma do his best to remain a boy during them. There had been a few accidents, but all in all the outings had gone well. Akane even got a chance to see Romeo and Juliet performed at the Pump House Theater. **

**Practicing his art in the woods was still the time when Ranma felt the most comfortable, boy or girl. Akane loved it just as much, for while she did delight in learning to cast new spells, improving in the art had been her lifelong goal and for the first time since she was little she was really doing so.**

**Ranma had been teaching her the Chestnuts Roasting on an Open Fire technique and they were working it into her sparring, when they heard a familiar voice bellowing in the woods.**

"**Where am I now?!" Strangely it hadn't gone on to blame Ranma for being lost.**

**Akane's eyes lit up at the sound of the boy's voice. She hadn't seen Ryouga since the failed wedding and she couldn't wait to show one of her friends how much she had improved, not to mention all of the new things she was learning.**

**Ranma's feelings about the lost boy's arrival were more ambivalent. On the one hand Ryouga was his friend and his presence would only increase the value of their training sessions, but on the other he was also P-Chan. Something Akane still didn't know and he wasn't looking forward to her finding out.**

**Having heard the boy they both took off at a run to find him before he got lost again, Akane leading the way. They found him circling a large oak tree upon which Akane had cast one of her misdirection spells.**

"**Ryouga!" she cried happily before leaping on the boy, giving him a hug.**

**Both Ryouga and Ranma's faces turned red at her exuberant greeting, though for different reasons.**

"**Hi Akane." He said while tentatively hugging her back. He had often dreamed of being held by the short haired girl and did enjoy her embrace, but he was with Akari now and he wasn't sure how his fiancée would feel about this.**

**There is no need to mention how Ranma felt about it.**

"**When did you get to Hokkaido? Your father said you were going to be in England for at least a year."**

**Akane giggled and Ranma couldn't resist making a little dig at the other boy's expense.**

"**We are in England, you must have really gotten lost this time."**

**Seeing Ryouga's face turning red and recognizing the signs that a fight was imminent, Akane decided to head it off before Ranma did something stupid.**

"**Ranma's right Ryouga, we are in England just outside of London."**

**The lost boy scratched his head. "London? You mean that city by Osaka?"**

**Lightly giggling, Akane tried to explain to her confused friend that no, London wasn't by Osaka.**

**The perplexed look Ryouga was giving Akane reminded Ranma of his theory about the Habiki curse.**

"**Hey Ryouga, Akane and I were just finishing our morning workout, how about you come home with us? Kasumi won't mind another person at lunch and there are a couple of people I want you to meet."**

"**Yeah Ryouga, come back to the house with us. You won't believe what we've been learning."**

**Ryouga gave his pig tailed rival a suspicious look. He didn't know why Ranma wanted him there, but he was sure it wasn't just for a chance to talk. Still, Akane wanted him to come and he was curious about why they had fled to England.**

**The trip back to the house took longer than normal that morning, much longer. It wasn't that Ryouga was slow, he was used to traveling long distances without rest and could easily keep up with Akane and Ranma. The slow down was the amount of time they spent keeping him from getting lost. **

**Arriving back at the house they found Kasumi and Nodoka at the kitchen table playing a game of Wizard's Chess. To the delight of the older women they proved to have the same magic potential as Ranma and Akane, and so they were now taking lessons themselves. Akane and Ranma had made arrangements with Mr. Lanshear to access more of their future earnings in advance and took their elders to Ollivander's and purchased wands of their own.**

**To Ranma's annoyance that meant there were now two more people who were learning wand magic quicker than he was. His entire life had been dedicated to becoming the best and though he still hadn't met his match on the mat, these wands were not doing good things for his self esteem. He tried telling himself that this magic wasn't the same as the art, but his chi sense told him differently every time someone cast a spell.**

**It was, he felt, these stupid language requirements. He was certain that if he could somehow use physical movement instead of words he would do much better.**

**Nodoka wasn't all that familiar with Ryouga, only having met him at the failed wedding, so she was somewhat surprised to see him in England. **

**Kasumi knew about the boy's knack for getting lost and the strange journeys he tended to take. She had seen the souvenirs he brought Akane and recognized the foreign origins of some of them. She greeted him with her customary smile, but her eyes were telling a different story.**

**She knew the secret of P-Chan and she knew the boy had a crush on her little sister, not to mention the rivalry he shared with Ranma. The young couple were getting along so well, she feared the Habiki boy's presence would bring back some of the tension they left in Nerima.**

"**Kasumi, mother Nodoka, look who we found while we were working out. He was just wandering around in the woods, he didn't even know he was in England!" **

**Akane couldn't keep the incredulity from her voice, Ranma had told her how lost Ryouga could get but he would have had to cross all of Asia or two oceans to get to England. There was no way he could do that just by getting lost.**

"**I hope it's okay but we invited him to lunch, I'll even prepare it if you want."**

**That caused everyone to pause, even Ryouga knew how dangerous Akane could be in the kitchen.**

**Kasumi and Ryouga were pushed even further into shock when Ranma unexpectedly asked if it would be okay for Ryouga to stay with them for a few days. He even offered to share his small room with the other boy.**

**Akane was ecstatic and Nodoka didn't know of any reason not to allow it. Kasumi was less confident of the wisdom of allowing the boy to stay, but Ranma was the one asking and she could see the desire for the other boy to stay in his eyes. Knowing what she did of their relationship she felt her brother in law must have a good reason, so she decided not to speak out against it. She did however, intend to talk to their houseguest about P-Chan and the place in Akane's life that he couldn't occupy anymore.**

**Receiving permission from their guardians, Ranma seized his friend by the arm.**

"**Come on Ryouga, I'll show you where you can put your pack."Akane was all overflowing exuberance as she piped in with "And I'll start on lunch. This is so great! I'm glad you came to see us Ryouga."**

**Leaving his mother and Kasumi to deal with Akane's culinary efforts, Ranma led the other boy down the stairs to the storage room.**

**If Kasumi was puzzled by Ranma's behavior, Ryouga felt like he had just entered the Twilight Zone. He had told Ranma that he wouldn't try to come between him and Akane anymore and his rival knew all about Akari, Ranma was most of the reason the two had gotten together after all, but he still couldn't believe Ranma would want him around anymore than was unavoidable.**

**While he wrestled with the corundum of the other boy's actions, Ryouga looked about the small room to which Ranma led him. It wasn't very big and there were no windows. He could also see a concrete floor peeking out around the edges of a large throw rug with a pastoral scene with unicorns sewn in it ( Mei Lin's sense of humor rearing its ugly head, Akane thought it was hilarious ). The only furniture was a simple folding cot. The only luxury a small space heater. Surprisingly the room lacked the musty smell and small insects he would expect to find in such a room. In the light of the single bulb hanging from the ceiling he could see several books occupying one of the shelves lining the walls along with the cans of foodstuff one would expect to find. Also on the shelves were several items he didn't know what to make of. There appeared to be a couple of toy swords and padded practice armor, though not like the stuff he was used to seeing in Japan. **

**Ranma closed the door behind them to ensure no one upstairs would over hear them and Ryouga could now see a poster of Bruce Lee on the door. It was from the Chinese fighter's only Hollywood movie, Enter the Dragon, and it showed him posing with a pair of nunchakus and no shirt. Seeing the man's tightly muscled chest and stomach Ryouga chuckled as it occurred to him to wonder if Ranma had picked the poster, or if it had been Ranma-Chan.**

**Thinking of Ranma…**

"**All right Ranma, what's going on? Why do you want me to stay?"**

**Considering how to respond, Ranma chewed on his lower lip in what Ryouga thought was a distinctly feminine manner. He would have laughed but he suddenly remembered the mushrooms he ate with his dinner the night before, and the way he sniffed them out in spite of the fact he wasn't P-Chan at the time.**

**Settling on an approach, Ranma crossed the room and took one of his text books off of its shelf before settling down on the rug, directing Ryouga to join him.**

**Sitting down across from his host, Ryouga could see written across the cover of the book in Romanji were the words World Geography.**

**Ranma flicked through the book until he found a two page spread with a map of the world. Turning the book to face Ryouga, he pointed to two separate spots on the map.**

"**This is Tokyo in Japan, and this over here is London England. Look, in order to get to London from Japan you would have to cross all of China and then some. It would take months to do it, maybe years if you walked the entire distance."**

**Anger starting to simmer, Ryouga growled "What if I went the other way? That ever occur to you?"**

**How dare Ranma mock the problem that had caused him and his family so much heartache.**

**The pig tailed boy just shook his head.**

"**That's even worse Ryouga. Then you would have to cross two oceans, not to mention America. Yet you're here and it didn't take you months of walking."**

**Seeing that he was quickly losing his audience to anger, Ranma rushed to explain.**

"**Listen Ryouga, I'm not…Ryouga, Akane and I came to England to learn about the way people in the west use chi, what they call magic. Since coming here I've seen something, a technique that I think the little pervert can use, something the old ghoul never mentioned to either of us. When we first arrived in London we stayed at an inn almost twenty kilometers from here. Mei Lin, the lady who brought us here, took our luggage and just vanished. Then she reappeared but our luggage was here, in this house."**

**Without meaning to Ranma leaned closer, unconsciously using proximity to drive home the importance of what he was trying to say.**

"**She used chi to travel here and back without crossing the distance in between, instantly. What if…I don't think your actually getting lost. I think what happens is that without meaning to you travel the way she did, going from one place to another far away between steps. If I'm right, then maybe she could teach you how to control it. Imagine being able to walk down a street and only going where you want to. Ryouga, imagine being able to travel anywhere no matter how far or what lies in your path, with only a single step. If you learned this technique, you could teach it to your entire family. The Habiki curse would be no more, might even become a gift instead."**

**Ryouga thought hard about what Ranma was saying. He remembered all of the times he had bumped into strange people when he got lost, and how amazed they often seemed to be to see him. Some even arguing that his being there should be impossible, talking about oceans and deserts and impassable mountains. What if Ranma was right? He wanted to believe it, that he could one day walk to the store and back to the Unryuu farm without getting lost in a jungle or on top of a snow covered mountain. To be able to go for a walk without carrying a pack filled with camping gear. To see his parents again whenever he wanted.**

"**Who…when can I meet these people your talking about?"**

**When Ranma and Ryouga returned to the kitchen they found to their intestinal relief that Akane wasn't there waiting for them. Instead they found Kasumi and Nodoka working to prepare lunch. While Ranma's stomach was relieved, he still felt a spike of fear when Akane wasn't where he expected her to be. He was saved from the embarrassment of expressing it by Ryouga.**

"**Where did Akane go?" The lost boy asked.**

**While he had resolved not to chase Akane's affections anymore, he still enjoyed her company, especially when Akari wasn't near.**

**Standing by the counter, tending the rice steamer, it was Kasumi who answered.**

"**I sent her to shower and change, something you need to do as well Ranma."**

"**Yes Ranma dear, Akane has finished showering upstairs so you can use the one down here." Nodoka said with a shooing motion. "So go get a change of clothes and clean up before the food is ready, and don't worry Kasumi and I will watch over your friend."**

**With a look of resignation Ranma ventured back down the stairs, returning a minute later with an armload of clean clothes he slipped into the downstairs bath.**

**Now that it was all set and going the rice cooker would take several minutes to finish and with both Ranma and Akane occupied elsewhere, Kasumi decided now would be the best time to deal with P-Chan.**

"**Ryouga."**

**The boy turned to look at her gently smiling face.**

"**Would you be so kind as to help me bring in the laundry?"**

"**Sure Kasumi." He answered, smiling shyly back.**

**Assuring Nodoka that she would be back soon, Kasumi led the lost boy out the back door to where the morning's laundry was waiting on the line. Their English house had an electric dryer, something of a necessity at certain times of the year, but Kasumi still preferred the feel and smell of clothes fresh off the line and hung them out whenever the weather permitted. The task of taking down the laundry providing a comfortable distraction, Kasumi decided to approach the topic in a casual, non threatening way.**

"**Ryouga, when my father told you that Akane and Ranma were in England, did he also tell you that they are married now?"**

**Ryouga felt a tightness in his chest. While he had accepted that Akane would end up with Ranma, and he did have the loving Akari himself, he couldn't help feeling a little disappointment and even resentment towards his rival. Swallowing the painful lump in his throat, he answered the eldest Tendo daughter.**

"**Yea, he told me."**

**Kasumi put her hand on his shoulder, giving it a sympathetic squeeze.**

"**I'm sorry Ryouga, I know how you feel about Akane, but I don't think it would be proper for P-Chan to be coming around anymore."**

**Ryouga blushed in shame, he wasn't aware she knew about his curse. **

"**Don't worry Kasumi, he won't."**

**He looked towards the house with a look of regretful longing.**

"**After Jusendo…I couldn't deny that they would be together anymore."**

**Kasumi's look turned pensive. She still didn't know what happened in China and no one was talking about it. Not even Ranma, which was very unusual as he could usually be counted on to brag about his adventures. Maybe this was her chance to find out.**

"**Ryouga, will you tell me what happened? Akane seems fine but Ranma, he doesn't sleep well anymore and I can see fear in him. Fear that wasn't there before, fear for Akane."**

**Ryouga didn't know what to tell her. He could tell she was worried, she had reason to be, but if Ranma and Akane hadn't told her should he?**

"**Ryouga." Kasumi prodded.**

**He knew he had to tell her something, the look on her face made it clear she wasn't going to continue to accept silence for an answer.**

"**I know there was a fight, there's always a fight, but…did Ranma lose? Is that why he won't talk about it?"**

**Ryouga was shaking his head no. "There was a fight, but Ranma didn't lose."**

**He thought hard about what to say. He wasn't very good at this and wished she would just let it go, but he knew she wouldn't and if no one told her the fear she felt would grow out of control. It was a lot like depression, if you weren't careful it would consume you until there was nothing else left.**

"**Akane" he swallowed hard, "Akane nearly…Akane almost didn't come home again. This guy had no respect for life, he really meant to kill us all."**

**Kasumi's hand was over her mouth, horrified to learn that she nearly lost her little sister.**

"**Will he…will he come back to try again? Is that why Ranma is so afraid?" She was suddenly very grateful Mei Lin had taken them from Japan.**

**Again Ryouga was shaking his head no. "He won't be coming back Kasumi. It wasn't that kind of fight."**

**Ryouga was saved from having to explain further by Akane's arrival. She bounced out of the back door of the house, anxious to show him what she had learned. Behind her was Ranma, who didn't seem nearly as excited. Taking up the laundry basket, Ryouga followed the excited girl inside, leaving Kasumi to contemplate the ramifications of what he told her.**

"**Oh my."**

**The meeting with Mei Lin and Medwin went well, sort of. Neither bought into Ranma's theory about Ryouga's travels, apparating was not something one did by accident, but they agreed to take the boy to meet an expert on the subject. So it was that Wednesday morning found Akane, Ranma and Ryouga climbing into Medwin's car. Medwin had arranged for Wilkie Twycross, the Ministry's apparition instructor, to meet them in their glade in the Whippendell Woods.**

**As the group made their way down the path from the golf course, both Ranma and Ryouga were watching the skies nervously. It didn't rain nearly as much in the height of summer, but the skies were overcast and to the curse bearing boys the dark clouds overhead looked ominous. Ryouga was nervously fingering the handle of his umbrella while he and Ranma both cast nervous glances Akane's way.**

**Akane was too excited to notice their attentions, but Mei Lin did. She just didn't know why.**

**They arrived at their clearing marked by a large boulder, blackened from chi strikes. It hadn't been there when Medwin was here last and he asked them where it came from. Akane told him that they found it half buried in the woods, waving towards the west. When he asked them how they got such a large and heavy stone through the trees she told him it wasn't easy. Ranma had added that it had proven to be good weight training. Medwin had been a little horrified when he realized that neither was kidding. Again he was haunted by images of daddy's little girl after spending time training with the young couple.**

**They still had more than twenty minutes before Mr. Twycross was scheduled to arrive and Akane was anxious to show Ryouga how much she had improved. So while Medwin and Mei Lin stood watching with Ranma, Akane and Ryouga began a light spar.**

**Mei Lin watched in fascination as little Akane threw punches too rapidly to see, driving the larger boy backwards his heels digging furrows in the soft ground.**

**Medwin watched in worried disbelief.**

"**Shouldn't she be pulling her punches?" he asked. "I don't think she really wants to hurt your friend."**

**Ranma just waved off his concern.**

"**Nah, that's the great thing about Ryouga. Rock will break before he does."**

**Leaning over and whispering he added, "Don't tell Akane I said this, but I don't think she could hit Ryouga hard enough to hurt him. Not yet at least, but soon I think." he finished with a certain amount of pride.**

**No one knew how long Mr. Twycross stood there watching, none of them saw him arrive. He was just there, standing next to Medwin on the side opposite Ranma and Mei Lin.**

**A little perturbed at the man being able to get so close without him noticing, Ranma studied him cautiously.**

**He was a small man, no taller than Akane and narrow in the chest and shoulders. Dressed in faded browns, he seemed to disappear into the background. His thinning hair and pale complexion failed to catch the eye. All in all it looked and felt like he wasn't really there, like what they were seeing was just an afterimage of someone who left just a moment before.**

"**Oh, good morning Wilkie." Medwin said, the other wizard had caught him off guard and it was taking him a moment to pull it together. "Thank you for joining us on such short notice."**

**In a reedy voice, neither high pitched or low, the smaller man responded.**

"**Good morning to you to Medwin, Miss Braithwaite. It was no trouble and I am curious to see this boy who traveled all the way from Japan in a matter of days."**

**He looked over towards Ranma, then back to the couple fighting in the glen.**

"**Which of these stout young men is he?" **

**Ranma's English had improved even more than Akane's art since arriving in England and he was now able to understand everything the strange wizard had said. Though he wasn't sure about the word 'stout' and wondered if he should feel insulted.**

**It was Mei Lin who answered.**

"**The boy you came to see is the one sparing with Akane." She pointed at the pair moving rapidly about the clearing. "His name is Ryouga Habiki and if Ranma is correct, he has traveled all over the world."**

**Ranma was quick to argue his case. "Ryouga has traveled all over the place. He wakes up in a desert, eats lunch in a jungle, then camps for the night on a snow covered mountain. He once followed me to China, he walked and never crossed water. He used to bring Akane souvenirs, really strange ones that Nabiki said came from all over the world." Ranma smirked, "When we found him here in these woods and told him he was near London, he thought we meant a city by Osaka. The entire Habiki family has no sense of direction and can get lost in a room with only one door. Believe me, I've seen him do it. I figure, if he is traveling using chi...uh, I mean magic...the way Mei Lin can, then things like direction and distance wouldn't mean nothing to him."**

"**So how does he travel?" Mr. Twycross asked while watching the boy in question.**

**Ranma shrugged, though the wizard was no longer looking his way to see it.**

"**I don't know and neither does he, he just does. Ryouga just starts walking and somehow he ends up a long ways away from where he meant to go. He doesn't even realize he's doing it, he thinks he just gets lost."**

**By this time Akane and Ryouga had realized they had company and quit sparing, coming over to join the others. Ryouga was looking at this new wizard, trying not to get his hopes up.**

**Without saying anything further Twycross proceeded to circle the Habiki boy, silently studying him. After several unnerving moments of this he finally spoke.**

"**Mr. Saotome tells me that you have an ability to travel and he feels it might be similar to apparating. Tell me, when you get lost, what does it feel like?"**

**Hiding his discomfort, Ryouga answered "It doesn't feel like anything. I just walk and it's like the world moves around me. Sometimes I wonder if someone is playing tricks on me."**

**Mr. Twycross paused to study him some more. "Your English is quite good." He said. "Did you study our language in school?"**

**Ryouga blushed with embarrassment. "I haven't had much opportunity to go to school, mostly I learned from trying to talk to the people I meet when I'm lost." Ryouga felt he had to defend himself, so he went on to explain "There are a lot of different people in Japan, speaking many languages. I've just had to learn a little of each to get by."**

**Mr. Twycross spent the next several minutes quizzing the boy in several languages, trying to get an idea of how widely his travels might extend. He tried French, Dutch and Russian, all of which Ryouga understood. He then asked Ryouga if there were any other languages he was familiar with. Ryouga told him there were, but he couldn't name any of them. Twycross asked him to just give examples of each and for more than ten minutes Ryouga regaled them with bits and pieces of different speech. Some sounded Arabic or maybe Egyptian. Others were unknown to any of the wizards, or witch, present. One even sounded like clicks and whistles. Ryouga told them that one was used by the little dark skinned people who camped among the dry brush. Blushing he went on to say that they seemed to believe he was some form of spirit, but that they were always very hospitable.**

"**I don't know how it is that you are able to travel Mr. Habiki, but what we do is called apparating and it is all about the three D's." Twycross explained, his voice habitually taking on the authoritative tones of a teacher. "These are: Destination, Determination and Deliberation."**

**He now had the undivided attention of all three martial artists.**

"**You must know where you wish to go, then with firm determination you must deliberately travel there."**

**He knew that his normal methods of teaching would probably not work in this case, so Twycross decided to take a walk on the wild side of experimenting.**

"**Ryouga, is there a place you know very well? Somewhere you would like to go."**

**Ryouga looked down shyly, digging into the dirt with his toes.**

"**There is my girlfriend's farm. I haven't seen her for several weeks now and I would like to."**

**Twycross gave him an encouraging little smile. "Good, that will do."**

**He took Ryouga by the arm.**

"**Now I want you to think about your girlfriend's farm, hold it firmly in your mind."**

**Seeing that his prospective pupil was doing just that, or else he was constipated, Twycross turned him away from the others. Still holding the boy's arm, he instructed him to close his eyes and then walk there. Ryouga didn't seem to understand at first but the wizard started pulling him along, encouraging him to will himself to the farm.**

**The others watched the mismatched pair cross the glen, disappearing into the tree line. They were listening to the wizard's voice, using it to track them, when he suddenly fell silent mid sentence. Looking at each other for a moment, all four then followed into the woods, looking for them. Several minutes of searching turned up nothing and Ranma jokingly stated that the two must have gotten lost.**

**Mei Lin looked bewildered, while Medwin was more than mildly upset. It just wouldn't do to lose a member of the ministry this way. In the end Akane and Ranma had to return home without working out that morning.**

**Later that night Mei Lin dropped by to tell them that Mr. Twycross had contacted the offices of the Ministry. He was in Tokyo, having arrived by way of Australia. She let them know that he was very excited about working with Ryouga and fully believed that together the two would be able to learn how to control the boy's 'gift'.**

**Akane was so happy for her friend and Ranma was more than a little insufferable with his 'I told you so'.**


	3. Chapter 3 Summers End

All things end and that includes summer. Inevitably the warm days of August wound down to be replaced by the increasingly rainy days of September and the beginning of the school year drew nigh.

In Watford on Percy St, the Saotome home was a whirl wind of activity as Ranma and Akane prepared for their departure to Hogwarts.

Ranma was all set to go thanks to the Amazon Hidden Weapons technique he learned observing Mousse. Everything the pig tailed boy required fit into one gym style duffle bag. What's more, thanks to the small tea pot Akane and Kasumi bought for him he didn't need to pack a whole half of his wardrobe.

It was a magic tea pot that could heat water without any outside fuel. Normally the enchanting of muggle artifacts was illegal, but the magic of this pot required the use of a wand to activate it. Meaning the chance of a muggle ever accidentally activating it and discovering the existence of magic was nil to nothing. While it wouldn't free him from the curse, it did make it much easier to change back again.

If Ranma was ready to go, Akane was a whole other story.

She had all of her clothes and school supplies packed in a large steamer chest, she didn't know Hidden Weapons yet.

At nearly the last minute she decided that there was more they needed, things she felt they couldn't hold classes without.

So it was decided that Ranma would go on to Hogwarts, while she and the others visited the Tendo home in Nerima.

Ranma wasn't too happy about her going without him, but he had to admit that she is more than capable of defending herself from the one remaining threat in Nerima, Kuno.

According to Nabiki's sources the Amazons had yet to return from China, the same note still hung on the door of the Cat Cafe three months later. Still no clue to why they left.

Ukyou had returned to run her restaurant but she had written a letter of apology for her actions at the wedding. Again according to Nabiki's sources, namely a cross dresser named Konatsu, the chef was still pretty broken up about it.

Ranma grumbled and bellyached about them returning without him, but when the sun set he passed through the back gate into the Lanshear's yard alone. He was going to use their outdoor fireplace and travel to Hogsmead by way of the flu network.

****

After he left Akane, Kasumi and Nodoka went out into the backyard and gathered around a tarnished and battered tanuki statue made from thin brass. It was a port key and they each grabbed onto its upraised paws, then both they and it disappeared from the backyard leaving only Mei Lin behind to lock up.

They had used port keys several times over the summer and each was well familiar with the twisting vortex and how to ride it without tumbling.

The Tanuki deposited them next to the koi pond in the Tendo compound.

Soun and Genma were in their customary places on the veranda, playing shoji and before the ladies had regained their equilibrium Soun swept his daughters up in his arms, generously watering them with his tears.

"Thank the kami, my babies are home!" he cried out to the embarrassment of his girls.

Genma was far less exuberant in his greeting.

"No-Chan." he said.

Nodoka gave him a small smile, one that said she knew what he did and he better run while he still could.

"Dearest, Nabiki informed me that you have only recently returned from a training trip with Soun and Master Happosai."

At mention of their recent travels both men got a far away look in their eyes, happy grins slipping onto their faces. Then they remembered who they were talking to and quickly converted those smiles into anguished theatrics that would leave fourteen year old girls gasping in envy and disbelief ( what happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas ).

Always the quicker on his feet, if not the more intelligent, it was Genma who started lamenting their poor misfortune first. Soun wasn't far behind, informing anyone who cared to listen that his poor daughters had come so very close to being orphans.

The men were poor actors and were lucky no one actually cared to listen.

Ignoring the men, Kasumi and Nodoka entered the house, already discussing what to prepare for dinner. Akane rushed off to call her friends Yuka and Sayuri, there was so much she wanted to tell them and the excitement was burning her up inside.

Kasumi had called Nabiki while they were still in England and the middle Tendo arrived soon after, a new bottle of celebratory sake in her arms.

That alone was enough for Soun and Genma to celebrate.

The delicious meal Kasumi and Nodoka prepared was quickly eaten and everyone settled in to relax while sharing stories about what they did that summer ( without the crayon colored pictures and plastic mouse ears. Soun actually did have a pair of ears, but the mouse they came off of wasn't built like Minnie ).

The ladies calmly sipped their small cups of sake, while the men folk wrestled for possession of the bottle.

It would have been just like their evenings in England, except this was Nerima not Watford.

They were disappointed but not surprised when with mangled verse Kuno announced his arrival and intention to defeat the 'foul sorcerer Saotome' and free his brides.

"Come forth nave, and let the swift hand of justice smite thee. I, Tatewaki Kuno, have sworn before all that is right and holy that I will personally end thy evil reign. Putting a stop to the vile rumors that spread as a pestilence, claiming that thou hath taken to wife my own devoted bride. Come forth coward and tell me what thou hath done to the pig tailed girl and the lovely Nabiki!"

With a flourish, Kuno drew forth his noble blade, one of steel and awaited his opponent. He might have continued waiting all night, or at least until Akane booted him from the compound, if the Kuno house Ninja Sasuki hadn't appeared kneeling in the dinning room behind the Tendo/Saotome clan.

"Lord Kuno, I have searched as ordered and Ranma Saotome is not within the house. Nor do I find any sign of his recent presence."

The little house ninja was faithfully serving his master and no one blamed him for invading the sanctity of their home. They reserved that honor for the fool he called master.

"Kuno! How dare you enter our home without an invitation!"

Akane was livid, she was also holding the Saotome honor sword though she had no idea how that happened. A small part of her ( okay, a large part but this is Ranma, not Robocop ) wanted to use the bared steel to remove his head ( the large one with the loud orifice ) and the problems he caused once and for all. She wanted to, but instead she decided to take the opportunity to show her father her newly acquired skills.

Drawing her wand with her left hand, she neutralized the Blue Blunder.

First with a 'Petrificus Totalus', then an 'Obliviate', followed by a more traditional eastern sleep spell. One performed by introducing his temple to the hilt of her sword

( sometime the old ways are the best ways, or at least they made the most satisfying thud when he hit the floor ).

Despite his oft accusing Ranma of using foul sorcery to cheat in their many conflicts, Kuno was ill prepared to face true magic and quickly succumbed.

Akane proudly stood over her fallen opponent, wand and sword in hand ( see Nabiki for posters ).

As always it was Kasumi who cleaned up the mess.

"Ninja-san." She said to Sasuki in her sweetest voice, the one that compelled unflinching obedience ( did I mention that she could do magic ).

"I would ever so appreciate it if you would convey your master back to his estate, and please don't mention our visit to him. We really want to enjoy a quiet evening with our loved ones."

Then she smiled at him, turning his bones to Jell-O.

His mind addled by Kasumi's spell, Soun and Genma had to lead him and his burden out of the compound. Then unceremoniously dumping Kuno in his rickshaw, they sent Sasuki on his way.

Once the little man was gone Kasumi started preparing another plate of food.

"Kasumi dear, let the men clean up. Tonight we are guests here."

Soun and Genma pretended not to hear.

"Oh, thank you aunty but I'm not actually cleaning up. I thought I would take a plate to Dr. Tofu." She tried to look innocent and strangely, she failed.

Nodoka restrained herself to a small smile, but Akane and Nabiki were both openly giggling.

Yuka and Sayuri arrived, taking Akane for the rest of the evening.

Kasumi left to see the doctor and Nabiki claimed the furo, while Nodoka supervised the clean up.

Meanwhile far away in the countryside of France, the tranquility of Baubatens School of Magic was shattered by cries of feminine outrage as the students and their instructors took to the halls with a vengeance. Unseen, a small wrinkled man was floating slowly from the tallest tower of the school. An extremely large pair of lacy French cut panties serving as his parachute.

****

Entering the flu network at the Lanshear's, Ranma exited in the common room of the Three Brooms bar in Hogsmead. It was late evening and to his chagrin it was also pouring rain in Scotland. Being fall in England that didn't come as a big surprise but looking out of the window at the wet dark beyond Ranma saw that the wind was also blowing hard, spelling doom for his umbrella.

Muttering imprecations under his breath, he slung his bag down from his shoulder and opening a zipper removed a long rain coat of dark wool. He pulled a long umbrella out as well, briefly debating using it anyway but decided that it wouldn't last long enough to be worth it and shoved it back within. Donning the long coat, he pulled a large brimmed hat from an interior pocket along with a pair of gloves. Like the coat, both were waterproof. Not that he held many illusions about staying dry long enough to reach Hogwarts, but he had to try. With the hat on and the collar standing up only a small area of his face was exposed. Swinging his bag across his strong back, he opened the door and pushed his way out into the storm.

He ignored the shrunken heads hanging by the entrance, yelling at him to close the door between insults.

Given the hour and the nature of the weather outside, their were several customers passing time beneath the sheltering roof of Rosmerta's bar. When the young oriental stepped out of the green flames of the fireplace their curious eyes were upon him. They figured he was a student at Hogwarts, too late to arrive by the normal train.

With nothing better to occupy their attention, they watched as he prepared to leave.

A trace of surprised admiration appeared on their faces as they watched him pull both the umbrella and then the hat from pouches too small to hold either. The possession of such luggage spoke of either a higher than normal skill level for a student, or greater than average resources. Such luggage could be bought but at a fairly high price.

Being used to the local proclivity for rain they shared amused glances at the boy's obvious discomfort while he prepared to face the elements with all the solemnity of a soldier marching to his doom. After he closed the door, one crotchety old voice spoke the word "Teenagers" and they all shared a chuckle. Toasting the brave lad in jest.

Exiting the shelter of the warm bar, Ranma did everything he could to ward off the falling rain. The magic of Jusenkyo was strong though and as his eyes easily spotted the many lights of the castle in the distance he just knew he would be getting wet. With a prayer ( in case any Kami were listening ) and a curse ( because he knew if they were they were probably laughing at his misfortune ), Ranma began the walk to the castle.

He could have drawn his wand from its hidden sheath inside his sleeve and cast a light spell, he could at least do that much wand magic, but thanks to the neko-ken he didn't need to.

The neko-ken was the greatest bane of his existence, even more than Jusenkyo, but it had its benefits and the ability to see in dim light was one of them. Still he would gladly surrender the sharpened senses, improved speed, balance and the embarrassing ability to purr if it also meant an escape from the shame of being terrified of those furry things.

Not to mention the fear of one day waking from its fury to find he was wearing someone else's blood. The thought of what he might do when he lost control to the fear was his worst nightmare.

Well, second to his dreams about Jusendo.

He had killed there ( even if the little prick was immediately reincarnated, Ranma had already suffered the anguish of making the decision to take a life ). Worse, he nearly lost Akane in those magic waters. The memory of holding her cold still body, watching her doll like eyes close for the last time, that was the stuff of true nightmares. The kind that kept him awake at night, driving him to sneak into her room while she slept just so he could watch her draw one gentle breath after another. While he huddled shaking in a corner fighting back his overwhelming terror of it happening again.

The town of Hogsmead didn't seem very big after Tokyo and London, but he preferred small towns with fewer people. The buildings all looked very old and out of date, like relics from the distant past. After all of the ancient monasteries, shrines, dojos and homes like the Tendo's and Kuno's, Ranma was used to old buildings and didn't give them a second thought.

The narrow cobble stone streets were empty, dim lights shinning from behind drawn shutters, but given the darkness and the rain Ranma gave that no more thought than he did the age of the buildings. While most people would feel like they had taken a wrong turn in time and ended up in the forgotten past, to him it merely felt like he had walked from one block to the next.

Passing out of Hogsmead he traveled across the wet uneven terrain with sure, smooth, gliding steps. Moving quickly with absentminded grace, Ranma instead spent all of his attention on the collar of his long coat and the wide brim of his hat, desperately trying to stave off the cold wet touch of the falling rain.

Traveling up a narrow lane that led from the village to the castle, he could see signs of recent passage, the dirt disturbed by narrow wheels and hooves. There was something wrong with the hoof prints, they didn't quite look like those he had seen in China.

Following the trail of those who went before, his sharp eyes picked out the silhouette of two tall pillars and a stout iron gate blocking the road. Approaching closer he could see that each pillar was topped by the statue of a winged boar.

'Maybe these wizards are familiar with Jusenkyo.' Crossed his mind, though he didn't remember hearing about a pool of 'boar carried by eagle'.

The great gates were closed and he could see a thick chain wrapped about their center, locking him out. Keeping his back to the wind and rain, he reached out to heft the weight of the chain judging its strength. It was too strong for him to break with strength alone but the Bakusai Tenketsu would do the job. It never occurred to him that someone might not appreciate him destroying their chain, acting without thinking was a Saotome standard.

Removing the glove from his right hand, careful to keep it out of the rain, he was moving his extended finger towards the metal obstruction when he was interrupted by a demanding voice from the darkness. A woman's voice.

"Who goes there?" She asked.

Startled, Ranma hadn't heard her approach over the wind and rain, he whipped about to face her causing the inevitable to happen. A stray wind blew rain into his face, not much, but enough to trigger the change.

Jusenkyo, the Pools of Sorrow, the other great bane of Ranma's existence.

True he, now she, had gotten used to changing and the tactical part of her mind had to admit that there are advantages to this dual life. Not to mention the freedom of being able to escape the expectations associated with the male gender.

When at home she hardly even noticed which form she was in. Except when she had the misfortune to cross paths with one of the Kunos, and she can't forget ice cream, that was a definite perk to being a girl.

It was times like this, when she was away from home and confronted by strangers, that she felt the burden of her curse. Brief encounters didn't bother her, she just went with the flow of whichever form she currently wore and then parted ways no one the wiser. It was longer encounters, with people who would have a chance to get to know her that bothered her. The embarrassment of having to explain her curse, answering the inevitable questions of whether she was really a boy or a girl and just how complete is the change. That one really bothered her, especially when it was asked by guys with obvious interest in their eyes.

She wasn't attracted to boys.

Why couldn't they grasp that she was still a guy herself, despite the window dressings. The worst was the shame she felt when she looked in their eyes and saw disgust or even contempt, like she wasn't a real person. Or sometimes it was fear that looked back at her, like she was a monstrous abomination, or maybe her curse was contagious. She had gotten into more than one fight trying to deal with the feelings of worthlessness such people gave her if they stared too long. Though she knew her secret would always come out eventually she still tried to hide her curse for has long as possible, just like the neko-ken.

The woman facing her was wearing a heavy rain slicker. It was a dark gray instead of the standard yellow given to children, allowing it to blend in with the night. She had the hood thrown back exposing her heart shaped face and mousy brown hair to the rain. She was also holding up a wand in a threatening manner, pointed at Ranma of course.

Behind her Ranma could make out the forms of two others hiding in the shadows, each also wearing a dark slicker, each also holding wands pointed in her direction.

Ranma-Chan tried to deepen her voice, hoping that with the high collar of her coat and the wide brim of her hat maybe they wouldn't realize she was a girl.

"I'm Ranma Saotome. I'm supposed to teach a class up there at Hogwarts, the minister guy sent me. Mei Lin said they knew I was coming."

The woman seemed to relax when she heard that, lowering her wand to a more neutral position. Ranma could see that the other two hadn't, though she doubted they realized she could see them.

"Have ye got yer letter?" The woman asked her, stepping closer so the space between them was shielded from the rain.

It no longer mattered if the rain got in, so Ranma reached into the front of her coat to retrieve the wax sealed letter Mei Lin had given her. As her hand disappeared within she saw the two men in the shadows start, moving as if to attack.

"Tell your friends to cool it and lose the wands. If I wanted to fight I wouldn't be wasting my time reaching in my coat, I would be pummeling you into oblivion."

She could tell they were surprised and not pleased to learn she knew they were there, but they hesitated to attack.

Taking advantage of their ambivalence, she drew forth the letter and handed it to the woman in front of her.

That woman, Tonks, took the letter studying the minister's seal in the wax. Waving her wand over it she cast a spell to check for malicious spells or signs of deceit. Finding only the minister's mark, she returned it to Ranma.

"Okay, we are expecting ya. I do wish ye had arrived twenty minutes ago, before the rain started."

Ranma cursed under her breath in Japanese. If only she hadn't wasted so much time arguing with Akane about her going home she would have been inside before the rain started. She never would have risked her curse being exposed.

Tonks couldn't understand what she was saying, but she could tell by the tone that it was cursing.

"Hey now. I know this isn't the welcome ye might have hoped for, but with what happened at the ministry ye had to expect increased security, especially at Hogwarts."

Tonks couldn't see it because of the hat and coat, but Ranma was giving her a look that had suspicion written all over it.

"What happened at this ministry?"

Tonks stared at the stranger before her in disbelief. True this Saotome was supposed to be from Japan, but how could anyone not know about the Dark Lord's return?

She decided that it wasn't her place to educate, instead she stepped up to the gate and touching her wand to the chain caused it to open.

"Normally someone would escort ya to the castle, but I doubt anyone wants to come out in the rain. So just follow the road and ya can't miss it."

Raising her hood back over her head, Tonks waited for Ranma to pass thru the gate before locking it behind her.

With a last look back, Ranma turned towards the castle lights and continued on her way.

Ranma didn't want everyone knowing about her curse yet, or at all if possible. The rain had worked against her but she had a way to beat it.

In the duffel bag slung across her back was the wonderful little tea pot given to her by Kasumi and Akane. She figured that when she reached the castle she could capture some rain water within the kettle, heat it up, and return to being a boy before any one saw 'her'. It was a good plan and probably would have worked, unfortunately when she approached the castle close enough to see the great doors in the circle of light produced by shielded magical torches, she was overwhelmed with awe and totally forgot the plan.

The great brass handle turned easily under her hand and the door came to with a gentle tug. The hall beyond was even more overwhelming then the doors. One of the largest rooms she had ever seen, anywhere. The fact that it was all carved from stone just made it…more. She made her way slowly across the hall, her eyes and mouth both open wide trying to take in the whole room at once. Looking up into the shadowed vaults of the high ceiling, she leaned her head so far back that her hat slid off of her head revealing the pig tail trailing down her back. Without giving it a thought she caught the hat by its brim before it could travel past her shoulders, then with limp arms she held it hanging by her left thigh. Turning slow circles she traversed the hall, approaching the base of a grand staircase ascending up further into the castle.

Before her foot even hit the first step, her sharp ears picked up the quiet rumble of many distant voices and her sensitive nose found the wafting scent of rich foods; roast fowl, sautéed vegetables, heavy puddings, and sharp apple cider. Knowing that food and voices meant people, she followed the delicious scents up the stairs then to a set of towering double doors.

Carefully pushing the doors open, Ranma found herself standing in the bright circle of light that spilled out from the room beyond. As impressive as the entry hall was, the room she now found herself in made it seem down right mundane. The room was nearly as large as the entire Tendo home, minus the koi pond. The floor was taken up by four long tables, stretching away from her in parallel lines. Covered with food and surrounded by robe wearing youngsters ages eleven to seventeen. A clear walkway crossed between the tables to the far end of the room where two steps up lay another long table, perpendicular to the others. Seated behind this table, so that they faced her and the rest of the room, were the only adults present in the room.

Before she could give them more than a cursory glance her eyes were snared by the ceiling, or the apparent lack there of. The numerous candles that lit the room seemed to float in mid air. The walls seemed to ghostly fade away into nothing, the room above opening up to the night sky. She could see the roiling clouds above lit by the occasional flash of lightning. She could even see rain falling, though it disappeared long before it reached her. Ranma wondered if she could jump up and catch a drop. Without even realizing it she was slowly making her way toward the middle of the room, her eyes riveted to the sky above. Looking closer she could just make out the lines of the vaulted ceiling hidden within the illusion of storm clouds.

While most eastern magic was very understated, often the viewer may not even realize they were seeing anything but physical skill. A lot of western magic was very flamboyant in comparison, but this ceiling was as blatant as the Egyptian pyramids at Giza.

She had totally forgotten that she was surrounded by people until a low whistle drew her attention to the table to her right, where she found a pair of attentive faces. They appeared to be close to her own age, maybe a year or two younger. Topped with unruly mops of hair, one red and full, the other brown and thin with signs that baldness lay in his future. Their faces slack with admiration, eyes alight with teenage lust and friendly mirth made it clear what they thought of the view she presented. The brown haired boy was tugging on the robes of the boy next to him, hardly aware of what he was doing so entranced was he.

Dean turned at Shamus's frantic tugging, a look of slight annoyance crossed his chocolate colored face when his friend ignored him still pulling absently upon his robe. Confronted by his friend's slack jawed stare and seeing a matching look on Ron, Dean continued his turn to see what had captured their attention.

His dark brown eyes were quickly captured by a pair of stormy blue ones.

The delicate Asian features surrounded by crimson red hair was extremely exotic and he was dimly aware that his own jaw was hanging open.

Ranma's face turned the same shade of red as her hair as it occurred to her that she must look like a backwoods tourist, staring about with her mouth hanging open. Focusing instead on the three adolescent faces, she closed her full pink lips into a delicate scowl that was so cute it sent them into glucose shock.

Ron threw her a shy wave while Shamus was screwing up his courage to talk to her, when they were suddenly interrupted.

"Excuse me young miss." Spoke a light yet commanding voice that seemed to carry right into her ear and suddenly she was the center of everyone's attention.

Looking towards the source of the voice she found herself facing the old man seated, now standing, behind the center of the adults table. He was wearing long silver and white robes with a long pointed hat that draped over his right shoulder. His face was nearly hidden by white hair and beard, all but his clear blue eyes. They seemed to be filled with paternal amusement, yet also contained a wisdom so deep she felt like she was going to fall into them and disappear.

By this point she had not only forgotten that she was currently female, she had totally forgotten that she could even change gender or wished to hide it.

He called her towards him with a gesture of his left hand, she didn't even think to resist his summons.

"I am Albus Dumbledore, headmaster of Hogwarts school of Witchcraft and Wizardry." he introduced himself. "Who might you be young lady?"

She was still too far gone to catch the obvious reference to her current gender, but with each step closer to his table she seemed to draw herself back together. Stopping when only the width of the table separated her from the old man she drew herself up as tall as her small frame could go, her rain coat brushing the ground around her. With her small right hand she again drew forth the letter from within her coat and held it out to him.

Taking it from her hand, his own blue eyes looking into hers, Albus couldn't help but stare. Obvious strength matched with native innocence shone in her blue eyes. For a moment, despite his advanced age and mental discipline, he could only share, though in a more mature and benevolent way, the young men's appreciation of the beauty before him. Mentally brushing aside the shadows of youthful desire, Dumbledore turned his eyes from the dripping vision of beauty before him to the folded letter he now held in his hand. The plain and unassuming document was sealed with wax bearing the sigil of the Minister of Magic's office. Breaking the enchanted seal with a tap of his wand, Albus unfolded the paper and scanned its contents. As he expected, it contained an introduction for the newest additions to his teaching staff. Turning his eyes back to the delicate Asian features before him he gave a slight frown.

"Welcome to Hogwarts Mrs. Saotome, but were might I ask, is your husband?".

"My.. Huh". Ranma intelligently replied. The confused look on her face was the very epitome of a sweet and naïve schoolgirl.

"Um.. Akane's in Japan gathering some…" her voice trailed off as she suddenly realized that Dumbledore was inquiring about 'her husband'. She had totally forgotten about her currently female gender. Her intent to hide her curse already sabotaged before she could even open her mouth. Again turning a bright shade of red, she tried to scrunch down into her coat. Self-consciously placing her hat back upon her head she hid within the dark material, too late for everyone had already clearly seen the 'her' within. Her timid soprano echoed up from within her cocoon as she asked Dumbledore, "Could we continue this… conversation in private?"

For as long as Ranma could remember she had been exposed to feats of chi. Growing up around her father and various sensei she had been fooled into thinking everyone could do such things. She was nearly ten years old before she realized that most people lived in a world were these subtle displays of might were the stuff of myth and movie magic.

Later the Old Ghoul and the Master Pervert had exposed her to some of chi's more blatant and impressive displays of power. Splitting Cat Hairs, the Breaking Point, Hidden Weapons, Moxibustion Weakness Point, not to mention various potions to affect emotions or memory and noodles that made a person superhumanly strong. Add to this list Reversal Jewels that could flip a person's emotions one hundred and eighty degrees, time traveling mirrors, mirrors that create evil twins, and lets not forget cursed pools that turn men into animals and set her own life on its head. She had fought a man who could fly and claimed to be a god wielding weapons of fire and ice. After all of this she had spent the last two months being exposed daily to western magic. Blatant and in your face, this was magic that even a child would know was special.

Yes, Ranma was quite accustomed to magic, jaded even. Until she took that walk through the halls of Hogwarts.

The ceiling in the dinning hall had only been a spectacular opening act, what she saw during that walk shattered her preconceptions. She had seen ghosts before, but here she saw them by the dozens, parading through the halls, saying hello and commenting on the weather. The pictures on the walls moved and talked, they followed from frame to frame down the hall. One even accused her of blocking his light while he was trying to read. Add in the little things like sconces that lit and doused themselves when you passed and moving stairs, Ranma felt like she was drowning in the absurd. Even her current companion made her feel plain and out of place.

Leading her through the halls was none other than Albus Dumbledore, her new 'boss'. He didn't look like much of a threat, the way he was dressed she didn't think he could even intimidate a small child, though she thought he might make said child's parents nervous. Observing the way he walked and moved she felt safe in believing he couldn't punch his way out of a wet paper bag, but then Saffron didn't look like much of a fighter either and Dumbledore wore an aura of power that she thought even Saffron in his arrogance would have feared.

She had to quash a momentary spike of grief and anger at the thought that if Dumbledore had been at Jusendo, Akane wouldn't have nearly died and she wouldn't know what it felt like to have to kill.

Dumbledore looked down and gave her a reassuring smile. "Would you care for a lemon drop?" he asked holding out a yellow piece of candy.

"Thanks" Ranma replied, flashing him a furtive smile before taking the offered drop and putting it in her mouth. It wasn't chocolate, but candy always made her feel a little better. Strange how it really didn't seem to help her when she was a he.

Putting one in his own mouth, Dumbledore gave her another smile before turning to continue down the hall.

He led her to an alcove occupied by a large statue of a phoenix and she hoped it wasn't a bad omen. At his inviting gesture, she joined him standing in front of the statue's spread wings. She expected something to happen, so she wasn't surprised when the statue rose up creating a set of spiraling stairs.

Dumbledore's office resembled a knick knack shop and antique store. Everywhere she looked was another odd object of glass and metal. She couldn't guess at the purpose of even half of the junk filling the place. She was careful to keep a respectful distance, there was so much magic in the room it was raising goose bumps across her delicate skin.

She followed him up a short flight of stairs into a domed chamber, the desk marked it as an office. Circling the room was a ring of portraits, crotchety old people in pointed hats. There was even a rather rumpled looking pointed hat resting on a shelf to the left of the desk. To the right of the desk was a large bird stand and seated on it...Ranma stepped back, arms unconsciously raising into a defensive position. The bird seated there was covered in red feathers and while it lacked a humanoid form, its wings looked exactly like Saffron's.

Albus noticed her unusually strong response to the phoenix, recognizing how wary it made her. Seeking to set her at ease he stepped close and brushed his hand down the bird's feathered neck, causing it to release a soft trill of pleasure.

"This is Fawkes, my trusted companion for many years. There is no need to worry, he is one of the most noble creatures you will ever have the honor of meeting."

Ranma tried to relax, attempting to act flippant about the bird but Albus could see her unease.

"I'm not worried. It's just that I once had a bad experience with one of his...err, cousins."

He saw a brief flash of what he thought might be shame or guilt in her eyes. He could tell there was a story here, one she didn't want to share so he didn't push it.

Playing the role of host, he helped her with her hat and coat. Then invited her to take a seat, offering her something to drink.

Nervously licking her lips, she requested water which he provided from a crystal decanter resting on a nearby table. To his surprise she didn't drink it, instead holding it in nervous expectation. Deciding she would probably be more at ease if she wasn't having to look up at him, he seated himself behind the desk.

"Now, Mrs. Saotome, about your husband. Akane was it?"

His question put her even less at ease.

"Akane isn't my husband." A look of disgust crossed her delicate features as she said that. "Akane, _she_ is my wife. It would be easier to show you then try to explain. No one believes it until they see it for themselves."

Her movements a little jerky with nervousness, Ranma unzipped her bag, removing the small tea kettle. Opening the lid, she poured the water from her cup into the kettle. Then with a flick of her hand, her wand appeared. Tapping it to the kettle, she told it to "Heat". While they waited for the magic to finish, she tried to explain.

"While training in China, I picked up a curse. Cold water activates it, while hot water returns me to normal."

Knowing that words wouldn't convince him and judging the water to be warm enough, she poured the contents of the kettle on her head.

Albus watched in amazement as the petite girl before him changed into a strapping young man. Looking closely he could see the resemblance to the girl the boy had been, especially the eyes which didn't change. He had never seen anything quite like it.

With an apologetic grin and shrug, the boy said "I'm Ranma Saotome, sorry about this."

Apologies and Explanations:

The most common complaint I received about this story so far was the bold text and underlined second chapter. All I can say in my defense is that the word document I uploaded had neither underlining or bold text, it did have tabulation which disappeared. When I uploaded it, first I ended up with a second copy of chapter one. Then a second upload gave me the unwanted embellishment of the text. I was attempting to correct it on my way out the door to work so I left it that way. Later I uploaded it a third time, successfully losing the underlining but not the bold text. At this point I don't have the heart to try again least it end up worse. This is my first attempt at fan fiction and I am still on the bottom edge of the learning curve when using the document interface.

It is also the first time I've written a story more than thirty pages long so I beg patience with the mistakes I have already made and those yet to come.

I will try to keep the individual chapters shorter in the future.

In addition, two other problems were pointed out to me:

The first related to the interaction of the Phoenix Pill and hot cocoa.

To be honest I totally forgot about the pill, just writing what seemed natural for someone who was cold drinking a hot drink too fast.

The second problem was more my failure to communicate my idea to the reader.

Personally I also dislike when a story puts forth a character, usually an OC, who without explanation or seeming to pay their dues matches or outclasses Ranma and the others.

I never intended to portray Akane as Ranma's equal, or even close to. For the purposes of this story I am treating the 'magic' techniques Ranma has learned like buffers and multipliers.

For example:

The amaguriken technique provides a temporary boost to the punching speed of the fighter. This means that if a fighter is capable of throwing three punches in a certain span of time, he can now throw thirty in the same span. The faster he is originally, the more he gains.

Akane may be throwing thirty punches under its influence, but in comparison Ranma is throwing closer to three hundred. Not everyone who uses the technique can perform it equally, otherwise Ranma would never have beaten Cologne who taught it to him.

Another point mentioned was the claim that soon Akane would be able to hurt Ryouga. What I meant was she was reaching the point were her punches would no longer feel like the pitter patter of a gentle rainfall. Not that she had any hope of defeating the Lost Boy.

In short, Akane is no where near as strong as Ranma, nor will she be anywhere close by the end of this story. That is why I have Ranma struggling with wand magic, to give her something of an equalizer.

The last point made, the use of weapons, I can offer no excuse beyond it fit the purposes of my story. Akane's character will grow by putting aside the anger she feels based mostly upon her perceived inadequacies. Allowing her to exceed Ranma in a physical sport like fencing helps her towards this goal. I decided Akane held some training based on the fact that she at least owns a shinai and that whenever things get bad, Soun appears in battle regalia and wielding a spear. Genma just wears his gi. Ranma's deficiency isn't because of a lack of ability but because of a conditioned disdain, especially for 'sport fighting' like fencing with its pointless rules and limitations. Other stories I eventually write may not contain this trait, but for the sake of this one I ask you to suspend your disbelief and go with it.

As for this being a Ranma-Chan story, that wasn't my intent and hopefully it will stop seeming so heavy handed in the chapters to come. Still, Ranma is growing by learning that other people will accept him in spite of his curse, so Ranma-Chan will still make appearances. This is why I listed this as a fantasy/family story instead of a romance.

Thanks for the reviews and critiques, especially the 'ridiculously long' one. If readers came away with that misconception then they would find the rest of my story to be badly skewed or extremely annoying.

2ptTakrill

To avoid another possible lapse and for anyone who might be interested, I offer this brief note I wrote while trying to mesh the martial arts of Ranma with the magic of Harry Potter before starting this story.

What Ranma knows as Ki and Chi are actually what Harry knows to be magic, just studied following a different tradition. The super human feats of the masters of the martial arts world are actually accomplished through the aid of magic. Magic is used to enhance physical ability, resist injury, speed healing and 'sense' threats. The seemingly foolish practice of Ranma and his friends to call out the name of their attacks in battle is because they are actually casting a spell, the verbal component is necessary for a successful casting ( at least until they achieve a higher level of proficiency ).

There are advantages and disadvantages to the traditions of the east versus that of Hogwarts and the west. Among the advantages of the east is that they do not start requiring the use of wands, only for non combat related spells. While really advanced wizards in the west do loosen the bounds of wand use, masters of the east do not learn anything like wand use until the most advanced levels ( think of Ku Lon and her staff or Happosai and his pipe ). The masters of the east also learn the instinctive use of magic to enhance there physical attributes, free from actual spell casting, they are able to maintain this enhanced state almost indefinitely and can raise it from a cold start almost instantly. Their internalized and disciplined magical pathways also make them very sensitive to their environment, especially magic and its use. They can sense the presence and use of magic around them. This means that they can recognize a wizard from a muggle ( unless the wizard successfully hides his aura ) or tell when a spell is being cast. They can also recognize the aura of magical objects. With more advanced training the masters of the east also gain the considerable advantage of being able to cast several especially offensive spells without needing a wand. Rare are western wizards who can cast a 'fire ball' without their wand, while any advanced eastern adept can throw around 'Ki balls' without any external aid.

The single biggest disadvantage of the eastern tradition is the time and dedication required. Ranma, for example, devotedly trained from the age of three but didn't learn to cast a 'Ki ball' until he was nearly seventeen. In contrast, Harry Potter who didn't even know magic existed before the age of eleven, was casting the powerful Patronis Charm by the age of fifteen with the aid of a wand. An eastern master does hold several advantages over his western counterpart, but the western tradition produces powerful casters in far less time and with only a fraction of the dedication required of a 'Ki adept'. Another disadvantage of the eastern tradition is the focus required of the master. Any given master can only handle a few students at the same time and given the number of years required to produce a student capable of casting even the earliest spells, this means that any given master will only have a handful of successful students during their life. While the western tradition allows a master to literally teach hundreds of students in any given decade, producing scores of wizards every year. The structured class room approach also allows a master to focus on one specialty, quickly producing wizards that, though not masters of all the art, are masters of their chosen field. The final great weakness of the eastern tradition would at first glance seem to be an advantage. Given the one on one student/teacher approach of the east, most eastern masters are hesitant to teach their pupils something new until they feel that student has achieved some milestone of knowledge or ethics ( or worn out their entertainment value ). This cautious approach to teaching advanced spells further slows down the production of new masters. Even more, while this method would seem to ensure the development of better, more disciplined future masters, instead it often leads frustrated apprentices to seek short cuts to advance. Many a dark adept has arisen from a student that felt they were being betrayed and used by their plodding master.

There are some things that both traditions do have in common, for example both include the creation and use of potions and magic items, but the eastern tradition usually withholds such knowledge from beginning students.

The end result of these differing paths is that while eastern adepts will often prove stronger in combat with few of the limitations of their western counterparts, they will in contrast have only achieved an equivalent level of power after years of difficult and dedicated training. Because of their masters hesitance to teach new techniques, most eastern adepts also have a far more limited repertoire of spells known.


	4. Chapter 4 A Mother's Secret

That night Nodoka took her husband home to the Saotome house. She claimed it was to collect some things she wished to have with her in England, but in truth she felt Akane and Kasumi would appreciate a little time alone with their father and sister. After all, they hadn't seen either all summer long.

After the Saotomes left, Soun and his daughters lounged around the family room sipping tea and listening to Akane and Kasumi talk of their adventure. They had already witnessed a rather dramatic display of mage craft when Akane dealt with the Kuno boy, but to Soun and Nabiki's surprise Kasumi drew forth her own wand and demonstrated several simple spells. As his eldest daughter explained that both she and Nodoka were learning magic, suggesting to Nabiki that maybe she could learn as well, Soun felt a mixture of pride and regret well up within him.

Raising his hand to get their attention, he said "Girls, there is something I need to tell you. Something I should have told you a long time ago."

Rising from his seat, he bowed to them in a more formal fashion than they were accustomed to coming from their father.

"Please wait here."

With that, he left the room.

Entering his bedroom, Soun went to his wife's shrine. Kneeling solemnly before it, he begged his wife's forgiveness for waiting so long. Then he withdrew a small silver key hanging on a chain around his neck. Removing it, he used the key to open a hidden catch in the base of the shrine. Removing a cloth wrapped square bundle from the revealed hidey hole, he rose to his feet and returned to join his daughters.

****

Back in the family room, the girls shared puzzled looks.

"Kasumi," Nabiki asked, "do you know what father is talking about?"

The eldest shook her head. "No Nabiki. I don't know."

They didn't get much chance to speculate before Soun returned bearing his small burden, which he placed on the table before them. Carefully unwrapping the thick cloth, he exposed a small chest of dark stained wood bound in silver. There was no key hole but the girls watched as their father placed his spread fingers upon the box in a very deliberate manner.

Akane sensed a small expenditure of chi from her father, focused on the box, causing it to crack open with the hiss of released air as if he had just broken a seal.

Soun reached into the box and delicately removed a small object, about six inches long and wrapped in silk. Removing the silk wrappings, he held up an exquisite wand made from poplar.

"Daddy," Akane asked in breathless wonder, "is that a wand?"

There was a single tear rolling down Soun's cheek as he answered, "Yes Akane, this wand belonged to Kimiko, your mother."

The girls all stared at him in wonder. Their mother owned a wand. What did this mean?

"What are you saying daddy?" Nabiki's voice expressed her own awe at learning something new about her mother, something she had never expected in her wildest dreams.

Placing their mother's wand and its silk wrap carefully on the table, Soun tried to explain.

"Years ago, during the period of reconstruction after the war with the Americans, your mother's family grew quite close to an English colonel stationed here. He and his wife Amelia, never had children of their own and they grew quite fond of your mother. They came to see her like their own daughter and she was very close to them as well. Amelia was a witch, like the young lady who took you to England. She recognized your mother's potential and arranged for Kimiko to attend Hogwarts, the same school Akane is going to."

The girls were stunned into silence, their mother was a witch?

Kasumi looked as if something that had always puzzled her now made sense. Locked away with her childhood were memories of her mother performing little 'tricks' while going about her chores. As a little girl Kasumi had delighted in seeing her mother's 'magic', begging her to teach them to her. Her mother had promised she would when Kasumi was old enough. She died before that day ever came and Kasumi had all but forgotten.

Akane couldn't believe what he was telling them.

"I'm going to graduate from the same school mother did?"

Soun gave her a wistful smile. "Yes Akane, your mother started at Hogwarts when she was eleven and studied there until she was seventeen when she returned to marry me. Ours you see, was an arranged marriage. At first she was very disappointed at having to leave school, but then Kasumi was born..."

Now he had tears running copiously down his cheeks.

"Your mother and I grew to love each other, but she always hoped..."

He bowed his head in shame.

"Before your mother died I promised her that if any of you wished to follow in her footsteps I would give you my full support. When she...when she died I was so caught up, first in grief and then the need to ensure the survival of my own legacy. I failed to keep my promise to Kimiko, forgot to offer you the chance to know this part of your heritage."

He bowed his head low, in formal apology.

"I beg your forgiveness for my selfishness and renew my vow to help any of you who wish to follow in your mother's path."

The girls gathered around their father in a family hug, whispering their love and forgiveness to him. There wasn't a dry eye in the room, not even Nabiki's.

Once that was out of the way and the girls returned to their places around the table, Soun drew three more bundles from the box. Unwrapping the first revealed what appeared to be a leather bound notebook or journal. Placing it on the table, he told them "Your mother had a gift for making potions and this is her 'other cook book'."

Kasumi picked it up, opening to the hand written pages inside.

"I remember this." she said, rubbing the book lovingly. "Mother promised to teach me how to cook from this book one day."

The next object was a photo album and address book, only the pictures within moved about like video. "This is your mother's memory book from school. It contains the names of all the people she meet in the wizard community, both in the west and here."

Soun smiled at his daughters fondly as they poured over the pictures in the book. They had often wondered why none of their mother's school pictures were on display in the house, seeing the way the images of her and her classmates moved about in their western robes they finally understood.

After giving them several minutes to peruse the second book, their father coughed to get their attention.

Drawing the fourth and last object from the box, he said "Kimiko was given this by Amelia when she left for Hogwarts. She told me that it was a relic of Amelia's family, but it was given to her in place of the child they never had. It meant a great deal to your mother and I believe she would want you to have it Akane. It would make her proud if you took this with you to school."

He handed his youngest daughter the object, still wrapped in silk. When the last of the silk fell away, Akane found herself holding the statue of a Chinese dragon. Carved from green jade, it had been rendered with such skill that it looked like it could come to life at any moment.

Choked up with emotion, Akane bowed to her father while holding the statuette.

"I would be honored daddy, thank you."

The Tendos stayed up late that night, going through their mother's album, Soun telling them everything he knew about Kimiko's time in England.

****

Ranma awoke Tuesday morning, alone in the large bed in his and Akane's room at Hogwarts. As guest instructors, Albus provided them with a small suite of three rooms. A front sitting room, large bedroom and a spacious bathing room. They were the fanciest accommodations he had ever enjoyed. At first he had been ecstatic to see their rooms, then he was nervous about showing them to Akane. It was a wonderful room but there was only one bed and he was reminded that, at least in name, he and Akane were now man and wife. Everyone expected them to share a bed. Ranma was afraid of how Akane would react.

Thinking of reactions, he didn't much care for the way the professors responded to him and his curse. His new boss and the little guy Flickwick weren't so bad, maybe a little overbearing but not bad. He didn't know how to react to the old lady McGonagall. While there was a time he would have jumped in gratitude over her offer to work on his curse, he really didn't care for being treated like a subject for study. The giant, Hagrid, was just a big kid. Easy to like but not someone to rely on. As for the others he didn't know which was worse, Snape or Slughorn. Tall dark and gruesome looked down on him, his disdain shoved in your face. As for Slughorn, he acted like Ranma wasn't even there. Like he had better things to do with his time than waste it on foreign riff raff. No, it was Snape who called him that. Slughorn couldn't be bothered to go that far, he just spoke past him asking Dumbledore about some Potter kid.

After treating Ranma like a freak show, Snape insinuated that his curse might make him a threat to the _real_ students and insisted that he be kept isolated until they determined _if _he was safe. For a moment Ranma hoped his new boss would tell the prissy jerk where to go, instead he had agreed to err on the side of caution. Dumbledore _asked_ Ranma to remain in his room until they sent for him in the morning.

If he wasn't being treated like a freak, he was being treated like a dog. 'Stay Ranma, good boy'.

If he hadn't promised Akane he wouldn't screw this up...

After that Dumbledore summoned that over the hill Gosunkugi look alike, Filch, to take him to his room.

Like Gos, all the skinny ghoul did was mutter empty threats under his breath. 'Poor Miss Norris' this and 'I'll hang them by their toe nails' that. Ranma had no idea what happened to this Miss Norris, but unless her antagonists were timid field mice this Filch wasn't doing nothing.

Now Ranma was here, trying to sleep in a strange place. He slept in lots of uncomfortable places during his training and this was a palace in comparison to the norm, but Ranma has never really been alone. His pop was always there and then Akane. Now he was here and Akane was in Nerima, alone, without him there to protect her.

Ranma didn't get much sleep that night.

****

When morning came Akane left with her mother's dragon. Kasumi took the potions book, confident that she could learn from it on her own. While Nabiki took their mother's wand since she was the only one who didn't already have one of her own. The picture album was returned to the shrine with the promise that they could see it any time they wished.

Akane gathered up the things she had collected for school, including a large wrapped panel her father had painstakingly prepared, and with Nodoka and Kasumi, she used the Tanuki port key to return to London.

****

Tuesday morning didn't come soon enough for Ranma. After spending the night tossing and turning with worry, all he wanted to do was relax with a good work out. Unfortunately he was still confined to his room, not a good place for practice. He tried doing a little Tai Chi, that didn't require much room. It did require the practitioner to center their spirit, something he seemed unable to do. No matter how hard he tried he just couldn't stop worrying about the tomboy.

When Professor McGonagall arrived to escort him to the infirmary, she found him pacing back and forth like a restless tomcat. The animagus could think of no better way to describe it, she half expected him to start sharpening his claws on the furniture.

It was still early, too early for the students to be out and about yet so they made it to the infirmary without seeing another soul...err...living soul. The ghosts were everywhere in the castle and they didn't care about the time.

Upon entering the school's infirmary and meeting Madam Pomfrey, Ranma decided that both reminded him of the nurses and hospitals in those old black and white movies about the war in Europe. His father had forced him to watch several claiming there were valuable lessons in strategy to be learned. He made a good argument about the German mistake of fighting on multiple fronts while waging an internal battle against part of their own population. As a boy Ranma did learn valuable lessons from the history of the war in Europe and the Pacific but the truth was Genma was just using them to distract the boy while he went drinking.

Ranma spent the next twenty minutes having the two women take turns pouring water on him while doing everything short of dancing around him waving a dead chicken. He thought at one point they might have consulted some entrails in a bowl, but he had never really studied that kind of medicine so couldn't say for sure. Eventually they declared him to be the focus of a localized phenomenon and cleared him to interact with the general population. Breathing a sigh of release, he was just about to go find a place for a decent workout when McGonagall informed him that Dumbledore wished to see him in his office.

****

Swallowing his frustration at being led around like an unwanted pet, Ranma left the infirmary. When asked if he needed an escort, he assured them he could find the way on his own. His voice was a little sharp with Professor McGonagall but there was just something about her that got his dander up. He couldn't figure out why but she set off his internal alarms and all he wanted to do when he was with her was escape her presence.

Most of the students were now awake and Ranma passed several in the halls. He was wearing his Hogwarts school uniform and they didn't give him a second look.

It didn't take him long to find the alcove with the phoenix statue and he was one step from entering when he sensed the presence of a fiend from hell. He didn't know her name, but there at the base of the statue was Miss Norris, Filch's cat.

The presence of one cat wasn't enough to send him into the Neko Ken, it was enough to send him into a state of fear induced panic. If he was trapped Ranma would slip into a shallow state of catatonia ( pun intended ), followed by the berserker state which the training was intended to induce. If he wasn't trapped he instead engaged in extreme efforts to escape the source of his fear.

In the open corridor he wasn't trapped and escape he did.

To the students he passed he was little more than a dark blur with accompanying breeze, long gone before the sound of panicked cries caught up. The Doppler affect reduced his drawn out cry of 'cat' to unintelligible gibberish.

Ranma wasn't in a panicked stated for long but by the time he regained his senses he was lost, easy to do in a castle of this size.

Ranma fumed, who let a cat run loose in a school?

Now he was going to be late for his appointment with Dumbledore and that was after making such a big deal about not needing an escort.

Well, there was nothing to do but wander until he found something familiar or cold water, whichever came first. If he was lucky it would be something familiar. If not and he found cold water first, at least he would be able to ask one of the students for directions. It would be much too embarrassing admitting he was lost as a guy.

****

Ranma rarely made plans and when he did they rarely worked out as intended. This time was no exception. He had wandered the halls for several minutes using the paintings that littered the walls to mark his path, but the way they refused to hold still was very confusing leaving him wondering if he was wandering in circles. At one point he found himself in a great tower stair where the stairs kept changing, moving about to reach different landings. He tried leaping from one flight of stairs to another but no sooner would his feet hit carpet and the stairs would change again. It honestly felt like they were playing with him.

Several students watched his leaping with amazed amusement, but since he hadn't found any cold water yet he refused to ask directions.

His sneaky suspicion that the magic castle was playing with him growing stronger with every frustrated turn of a corner, he decided to try faking it out. Walking down the hallway, whistling and doing his best to look nonchalant, he suddenly darted down a side passage. Running as fast as he could, he chose corners at random.

'There ain't no way a stupid building is going to beat me!' he was thinking to himself when the castle decided to throw a new obstacle in his way, in the form of Luna Lovegood.

Coming around a blind corner at a full sprint, he clipped her, sending her spinning to the floor and himself crashing into the far wall.

Sitting up Ranma rotated his right shoulder, working out the encroaching stiffness from his impact with the hard stone wall. Remembering the brief glimpse of blonde hair before he became intimately acquainted with the castle's infrastructure, he looked across the hall to see if the victim of his reckless flight was okay.

If Akane was here she would never let him live down the fact that he had physically harmed a girl while running from a building. Even with his suspicions about the castle he felt more than a little stupid, not to mention guilty for hurting the girl sitting on the floor in front of him.

She looked to be about his age and she was wearing the girls school uniform with a crimson and gold striped scarf. Her long blonde hair was something Ranma still hadn't gotten used to seeing, not even the Amazons had that color, but what really stood out in his eyes was the glasses she was wearing. The frames were irregular in shape and covered in bright splashes of color with no discernable pattern. Even the lenses were a kaleidoscope of conflicting colors and he wondered how she could possibly see through them. All in all he thought they looked like something a Shibuya girl would wear. He struggled not to laugh.

The school books she had been carrying, along with a sheaf of loose papers were now scattered about her on the floor.

Flushed red with shame, Ranma rushed to help her up and then began to gather her books.

"I'm so sorry." He was flustered and babbling. "I shouldn't have been running. Are you hurt? I didn't mean too..."

Reaching out, Luna covered his mouth with her hand cutting him off.

"It's quite all right." She told him with a vacuous smile.

"There is no harm done. Were you trying to catch that Dray?"

"Huh?" Was his response, wondering what a 'Dray' was.

"Uh...no, I was just..." he trailed off. How was he supposed to tell her that he was running from a building, the very one they were currently inside of?

Deciding for once to quit while he was ahead, he dropped that line of conversation and introduced himself instead.

"I'm Ranma Saotome, sorry about that."

He completed his traditional greeting by tugging nervously on his pig tail.

Shifting her burden of books to her left arm, she reached out for his hand.

"I am Luna Lovegood. You have the most unusual double aura."

Taking her offered hand, Ranma wasn't sure what to make of her comment about his aura.

Then there was her name, 'Lovegood', was she supposed to be a Bond Girl?

In an effort to improve their English, the Saotome/Tendo family in Watford had spent many an evening watching movies and his mother was particularly taken with the ones about James Bond. She found the English spy to be the model of manliness.

Ranma found his mother's unspoken comparisons between the Englishman and himself to be a source of great discomfort.

Even worse was the sixth movie, 'In Her Majesty's Secret Service'. It was an enjoyable movie with lots of action, but by chance Ranma had been in his female form the night they watched it. Being compared to the suave spy was bad enough but when the red head and future Misses Bond, Tracy Di Vincenzo appeared on the screen, the speculative looks Nodoka was giving her made Ranma very uncomfortable. Especially when the movie got to the scene were Mr. Bond was being very 'manly' for her.

That night he had nightmares about being the girl in the movie and somehow the Bond in his dreams looked a lot like Kuno.

Shuddering, Ranma focused his attention back on the girl before him in time to catch the tail end of her question.

"...sorted into. Where were you going?"

Being a man Ranma wasn't comfortable asking for directions, but he wouldn't actually be asking for help, just answering her question which was the polite and proper thing to do.

"I was going to the Headmaster's office."

"Oh, do you mind if I walk with you? It will give us a chance to get to know each other better."

Ranma didn't know if he wanted to get to know this strange girl better, she reminded him of Akane's friend Miyo the fortune teller, but at least this way she would unwittingly lead him to Dumbledore's office.

He waited until she started walking first and then casually proceeded to follow along, careful to be walking beside her instead of behind. He remained quiet, vainly hoping that they would arrive at Dumbledore's office without anything actually being said.

Luna was not cooperating.

"Is this your first year at Hogwarts?" She asked. He couldn't see her eyes behind those ridiculous glasses.

"Uh, yeah. A witch named Mei Lin came to Tokyo last spring and asked us to come and teach a..." He struggled to come up with the appropriate word. His English has improved dramatically, but he still struggled with big words.

"She asked us to teach about our art, our kind of chi or magic."

"Oh, so you and Akane are teachers not students?"

"Well, a little of both really. Some minister wants us to teach, but we have also been learning how to use a wand."

His pride kept him from mentioning how difficult he was finding it. It also distracted him enough that he never questioned how she knew Akane's name.

"If you don't use wands, then how do you do magic? Are you like house elves?"

Ranma had yet to meet a house elf, so he had no idea what she meant.

"We use our bodies, our hands and feet to do magic. Though when we are new to a technique we do use words to help make it work."

Feeling the need to demonstrate ( or was that show off ) he held out his left hand, causing a golf ball sized orb of chi to form.

Luna stared at the golden globe in fascination. He did it without wand or verbal components and she was dully impressed.

"Can Akane do that to?"

Ranma was unaware of how much pride suffused his words as he answered.

"Yea, she's still learning and she has to speak, but she started doing this almost a month ago."

"Does it take long to learn?"

"Akane and I have been training all our lives, so yea, I guess it does."

"If it takes so long to learn, what will you be teaching to us?"

Ranma spent a minute contemplating the best way to answer.

"We will teach you how to fight using what you already know. Winning a fight isn't just about being stronger or knowing more techniques than your opponent. I have defeated at least two enemies who were stronger and knew more than me, I did it by making use of what I know and ex...exp, took advantage of their weaknesses. Both times their only real weakness was their arrogance, their failure to see me as a threat. That is what we will try to teach you, strategic thinking."

Ranma was almost as relieved to see the phoenix statue as he was not to see the furry little demon.

Deciding to exercise some of the manners his mother has been drumming into his head, he bowed to Luna.

"It was a pleasure to meet you Miss Lovegood and I enjoyed our conversation."

"Thank you Ranma and I am glad I got to know you. I am looking forward to your class and meeting Akane. If she is as lovely as you I'm sure your class will be very popular. You have such beautiful red hair."

While he was still trying to process what she had said, Luna disappeared down the hall.

"Nani?" He gasped out. "How...what..."

Fingering his pig tail, he double checked to make sure it was black and he was still a guy.

****

It was Ranma's second visit to the headmaster's office, his second time seeing Dumbledore's eclectic collection of what nots and it was no less mind boggling than it was the first time. Making his way across the outer room, careful not to bump any of the chi laden objects, his sharp ears caught the soft tones of Dumbledore's voice.

"Yes, thank you Fawkes. I'm afraid we will have to continue this conversation at a later time Harry, Mr. Saotome has arrived. Good luck Harry and remember, I can't stress enough how important it is that we find out what was really said that night. I trust you will not fail."

Ranma stopped and waited, not wanting to intrude and possibly anger the old man. This wasn't like messing with the old pervert. He had no doubt the gray bearded wizard could mess him up and in ways much worse than any punch or kick could.

He only had to wait a moment before Dumbledore appeared in the entrance of the inner office, his hand resting in a paternal manner upon the shoulder of a young man with dark hair and glasses.

"Ah, _Mr._ Saotome."

There was an underlying note of humor in the old man's voice when he uttered the word 'Mr.'

"I would like you to meet Harry Potter, an excellent young man and one of our most dedicated students."

Harry held out his right hand, just as Ranma gave a shallow bow. Then Harry bowed as Ranma held out his hand. They looked like they were enacting a scene from an Abbott and Costello movie, drawing a warm chuckle from Dumbledore. It was a toss up as to who was blushing brighter. Giving up on a physical greeting they both muttered quiet helloes to each other.

"Well run along Harry and don't neglect your studies."

"Yes Professor." Harry gave them both one last look before leaving the way Ranma came.

Ranma watched the other boy go, then turned back to find the old man watching him an amused glint in his blue eyes.

"Good morning Ranma. I hope you found your rooms acceptable and I apologize again if you feel we have treated you poorly. I'm afraid your 'curse' is something outside of our experience and as I am sure you well know, people tend to find the unknown to be threatening at first."

Giving him a conciliatory smile, Dumbledore waved to a bowl on his desk.

"Would you like some licorice?"

Ranma is a Saotome and a Saotome never turns down free food, though Albus noticed that he didn't accept with the same enthusiasm as 'she' had the night before.

'Maybe Ranma just doesn't like licorice as much as lemon drops.'

"Please, have a seat."

As Ranma moved to comply he couldn't contain a shudder at the sight of the phoenix, Fawkes, resting on his perch.

"Will you join me in a cup of hot cocoa? I know it is more traditional to offer a guest tea, but I must confess to having a bit of a sweet tooth."

"Yes, that...uh, would be good."

Nodoka had worked hard that summer to drum some manners into her child but Ranma still struggled with the unnatural constraints.

Dumbledore took several minutes to pour two cups from a service set waiting upon a small side table. Then handing one to Ranma, kept the other for himself and joined the young man by the desk.

"Ah...There's nothing like a hot cup of cocoa on a cool fall morning."

He hoped the mundane nature and intimacy of sharing a friendly cup would help create the proper mood, hopefully putting his new instructor in a more cooperative frame of mind. After giving Ranma a minute to relax, Albus decided that it was time to address the business of the minister's plan.

"I'm afraid I must confess to being unfamiliar with the art you practice. Could you tell me what you will require to teach?"

Ranma wasn't given to contemplation, knee jerk reactions being more his style, so he didn't hesitate long before spitting out the first thing that came to mind.

"Space, we'll need lots of space and access to the outdoors when the weather is good."

He wished Akane was here, she would have a better idea of what they needed. Somehow Ranma didn't think Dumbledore would approve of him using the same methods his father used to train him. Besides, he didn't think they had wolves in England anymore. He was about to ask when Dumbledore interrupted his thoughts.

"We have arranged the use of a large hall for you and it lies near an outside exit. We also have some dueling equipment; padded mats and doublets, along with several practice targets. You can use those if you need."

Ranma couldn't contain his excitement.

"You teach fencing here?"

He had never been all that interested in weapons or competitions with rules, but Akane was and if she liked it he was finding so did he. Anything that made her smile was good in his book.

It took Dumbledore a moment to realize Ranma was referring to sword training. It just wasn't something most wizards took seriously.

"I'm sorry Ranma, but swords are not part of our curriculum. Some of the students might be interested in starting a club if you wish, but I was referring to wizards dueling with wands."

Ranma gave him a perplexed look.

"If I hit someone with my wand I'm just going to break it, better to use my fist."

Albus Dumbledore had been a teacher for many years and he was good at keeping condescension out of his voice and off of his face.

"I don't think you understand Ranma, wizard duels are fought with magic not fists."

Ranma hadn't been teaching for all that long, just a little this past summer to Akane and a two year old, and his contempt showed.

"Not to insult you sensei, but if you stick to waving your wand in someone's face they're just going to punch you in the jaw. Then it's fight over."


	5. Chapter 5 Enter the Dragon

Chapter 5: Enter the Dragon

Ranma made his way towards the great hall with a grumble, not a song, in his soul. After discussing what Ranma and Akane would require for their class, Dumbledore had brought up the issue of the Saotome's own education requirements.

After spending the summer studying with Akane, Kasumi and his own mother, Ranma now knew more then he could ever have hoped to learn at Furinkan. After spending months living in Watford his English was now better than that of any of his old classmates. He and Akane had enjoyed a real laugh remembering some of the English signs back in Tokyo, 'My bank, my kinky' indeed. No, for the first time in his school career Ranma didn't feel stupid.

Too bad he couldn't say the same thing when it came to magic.

In one of her more brutally honest moments, Mei Lin admitted that he had barely progressed beyond a first year. Aka: an eleven year old beginner.

He had improved since then, but not much.

Akane, Kasumi and even his own mother left him feeling like the village idiot...again.

It wasn't due to a lack of effort, he had worked hard to catch up to Akane and the others. It was just that for some reason the wand stuff and him didn't click. Given how fond his wand seemed to be of his cursed form he wasn't entirely sure if that was a bad thing. He would have sought to obtain another if this one didn't feel so...right.

Besides, he still had his own art and knew that in it he was well on his way to being the best.

No, Ranma didn't feel the need to master this new art, it just felt like he was losing and he really hated to lose.

Arriving in the great hall for breakfast Ranma learned that they had yet to prepare a place for him at the faculty table. Professor Flickwick kindly advised him to just take a place at one of the student tables, promising that they would have a place for him by lunch.

Taking the little man's advice, Ranma sat at the table beneath the yellow and black banners decorated with some sort of furry vermin.

The students of House Hufflepuff exchanged curious glances when Ranma joined them. None of them remembered ever seeing him before and he wasn't wearing any house colors, leaving them to wonder who he was. Their curiosity turned to horrified amazement when the food arrived. They watched in sick fascination as the food seemed to literally disappear from the Asian boy's plate, a flashing blur where his arms should be. In less than a minute Ranma had consumed more food then any three students ( including Crab and Doyle ) and stood to leave, giving a slight bow before departing the table. While most of the students were staring at the door through which he departed, the students seated to each side of his former place stared at their plates in confusion. They were sure they had dished out more food then was now on their plates and neither had yet taken a bite.

****

Truly free for the first time since his arrival, Ranma decided to go outside and get in some personal training. He was just starting his second hour when Hagrid arrived.

"Morning Ranma." The giant greeted, his quiet voice and diffident demeanor stripping him of the intimidating presence his size would otherwise have commanded. "Exercising I see. Well I'm sorry to interrupt but Professor Dumbledore asked me to show you your classroom. So if you'll follow me."

As Ranma fell in beside the giant, David to his Goliath, Hagrid went on to explain why the headmaster sent him.

"Now normally Mr. Filch would have shown you the way, but he's busy right now. Seems someone filled the prefect's bath with some sort of green syrup, an awful mess it is clogging up all the pipes. Going to take hours to clean out."

Ranma didn't regret Filch's absence, the skinny man was a jerk and he couldn't help but like the gentle giant. Of course he was finding that it was easy to like anyone who wasn't trying to either marry or kill him.

Hagrid led him to a large empty room, some forty feet long by fifteen feet wide with a tall vaulted ceiling. It was larger than the Tendo dojo with plenty of space. Two tiered stone benches were crafted into the walls on both sides along the length of the room and large windows along the outer wall allowed plenty of direct sunlight to fill the room. Hagrid didn't mention it, but this was the room Professor McGonagall used to teach dancing before the Tri-Wizard ball. Ranma nodded in approval.

"Yes, this room will do."

Hagrid then led him across the hall and into a normal sized classroom, the desks and chairs stacked against the outer walls.

"Professor Dumbledore has set this room aside for you to use as an office, storage or for any additional space you may require. He said he will have the student's files delivered by Friday so you can get to know what you have to work with."

With the giant's help, Ranma spent the next hour retrieving the school's dueling equipment from storage. Hagrid had to leave to attend to his own class, the care and feeding of magical creatures, so Ranma finished putting out the mats and props by himself. Far more equipment would be required to outfit a real dojo, but Ranma was confident that this would be enough to start. They could always requisition additional equipment later.

****

That afternoon after classes ended for the day, Ranma was summoned back to Professor Dumbledore's office. He was waiting for this, they had planned it that morning, but he hadn't been looking forward to it.

Entering the inner office he found all of the school professors there, with the exception of the ghost Binns, teacher of magical history. It was a given that he knew nothing of that subject so there wasn't much reason to test him on it.

Dumbledore himself didn't stay that long, instead leaving with the Potter kid. Once he was gone Ranma found himself at the mercy of the rather austere staff.

For Ranma the next two hours were just like being back in Nerima, minus the groping. In between the questions and practical testing, the various professor's made it clear just what they thought of him and his abilities.

McGonagall took his father's place, lecturing him on the importance of maintaining discipline and providing a good example for the students.

Snape took Kuno's role, without the slaughter of poetry. Thank god for small favors. His manner was openly condescending and he didn't miss a chance to express his disappointment at the presence of 'foreign riffraff' at Hogwarts.

The potions teacher, Horace Slughorn, couldn't be bothered to pay him enough attention to insult him. Insulting him all the worse. Which was really annoying given that potions was one area were Ranma was quite knowledgeable, even if what he knew was limited to the more malicious examples of the art. Thanks to the Amazons, he had a rather extensive knowledge of potions designed to manipulate or harm. Horace spent the minimum amount of time required with him, never once looking him in the eye.

Then abandoned him to question McGonagall about Potter. Ranma had only met Harry once and at the time thought him a nice enough kid, but right now he felt the growing desire to stomp him proving once and for all who was better.

Mrs. Sprout, teacher of herbology, was surprised at the depth of his knowledge when it came to magical plants of the East. Again thanks to the Amazons, especially Pink and Link.

Ranma also knew an impressive amount about magical healing and medicine, if from a slightly different approach. The time he had spent in Tofu's clinic was paying off nicely.

The only bright light in the dark was the odd couple of Hagrid and Flickwick.

Ranma and the giant had compared their knowledge of magical creatures that afternoon while moving equipment and Hagrid listened attentively as Ranma shared what he knew about rare creatures of the Eastern world. Though what Ranma knew was like comparing a shot glass to the local lake when balanced against Hagrid's own experiences.

Professor Flickwick was a true delight, in spite of the fact that his area of expertise was the one in which Ranma knew the least. Instead of putting the pig tailed boy down for his ignorance, the little man showed a voracious appetite to learn about Ranma's own art. For every question he asked about magical charms he asked two about the traditions of the East, listening to the answers with fascinated delight.

All in all, Ranma felt pretty good about his ability to answer their questions. Still, in the end the general consensus was that his limited knowledge of the western approach, combined with the difficulty he was experiencing using a wand, meant he and likely Akane would require extra help if they were to teach anything useful in their class.

Ranma's pride was stung and their off handed inclusion of Akane's likely deficiencies stoked his anger.

"If any of you doubt my ability, then it would be a pleasure to prove myself in a fight against any of Hogwarts' students, _or_ its staff."

The look McGonagall gave him at that was one very familiar to Harry and his friends, her face screwed up like she had been eating sour lemons.

"Mr. Saotome, we do not 'prove' ourselves by brawling with students in the hall. Not at Hogwarts and I must insist that you refrain from such behavior while you are here. You will carry yourself with all the dignity warranted by this institution."

"Besides," Snape's voice came from behind him even as Ranma felt a cold, wet substance run down her spine. "you hardly seem all that threatening."

Spinning around, she found him standing there, arms folded an empty glass in his hand. There was a sardonic curl to his lip and the light of mockery shone bright in his eyes.

It was only her promise to Akane that kept Ranma from showing the smug jerk just how threatening she could be.

Channeling her anger into the Soul of Ice, Ranma clamped down on her emotions keeping her cool in the face of their contempt and disapproval.

The Hogwarts professors were shocked, even Horace for once giving his undivided attention as the temperature in the room plummeted. Frost formed on the rim of the glass in Snape's hand and everyone's breath was now visible as faint white plumes.

Her voice even colder than the now chilly room, Ranma-Chan informed them that "Any challenge you deem an appropriate test of my skills I will happily face."

Then invoking the veil of the quiet thief she vanished from sight, leaving the office before anyone could cast a divination spell to unmask her.

****

Ranma held to the veil until she left the building, the only sign of her passage being an icy chill that caused even the castle's ghosts to shudder as she walked by.

Once outside she released both the veil and the soul of ice, allowing her anger to pour out in a string of profanity that would have curled her mother's toes. Feeling the need to burn some energy, she raced across the castle grounds. Once clear of the building and its walls she exchanged her mad sprint for katas of the Saotome ariel school of martial arts, transforming her flight into dazzling jumps and spins.

Not caring where she went as long as she was moving, she continued forward until her conditioned reflexes caused her to convert her forward motion into a spinning back flip as a large tree branch slammed into the ground right where she had been standing.

Before she even had a chance to recognize what was happening she was rolling and jumping, instinctively dodging the trees repeated attempts to smash her beneath its woody limbs. Its massive branches striking the ground with bone jarring thuds, the attacking tree promised instant death if it ever once connected with its target. The physical nature of the attacks and of her defense instantly brought Ranma into focus, her anger flowing out like water as she leaped and danced through the tree's branches having exchanged the ground below for a higher, more challenging road.

Ranma didn't know how long she sparred with the tree but it was there dancing among the branches of the Whomping Willow that Akane, Mei Lin and Hagrid found her.

Drawing her wand Mei Lin cast a 'petrificus totalus' on the willow, bringing its attempts to smash the annoying red head to a stop.

When the tree stopped so did Ranma, it took her nearly a minute to notice the presence of the others on the ground below. Seeing Akane she couldn't hold back a smile, the relief rushing through her leaving a feeling of euphoria behind. Leaping down and landing in front of the tomboy it was all she could do not to wrap herself around her wife, refusing to ever let go.

"Hey tomboy, welcome to Hogwarts."

Ranma-Chan was bouncing lightly on the balls of her feet with eyes only for Akane, something the other two didn't miss.

Mei Lin let slip a small smile of her own. Over the summer she had gotten to know the unusual couple well and knew about their history of denying their feelings for each other. She also knew that though they were legally married, they had yet to live like they were. She now knew for a fact that they hadn't enjoyed a true wedding night when they stayed at the Leaky Cauldron.

Hagrid didn't know the history between the young couple, but he had spent the last decade surrounded by teenagers and he knew the signs of hormone overload by sight. He also knew they were actually married despite their tender years and he figured they just missed each other.

It was a little disconcerting seeing one girl giving another that look though.

"Here now Ranma, why don't you show your misses her new home."

Hagrid expected a girlish squeal, he expected the little red head would seize the other girl by the hand, he expected them to go running off to their private chambers.

What he hadn't expected was to hear Ranma excitedly telling Akane "Come on Akane, you have got to see our new dojo!"

After being separated for two days, he expected newly weds to be thinking of only one thing and it wasn't "Come on tomboy, I haven't had a good spar for two days!"

****

After a quick detour by a ladies room so Akane could retrieve a cup of hot water, her manly husband showed her their classroom and office. It wasn't the Tendo dojo but it was going to be the first place where they would actually teach their art and they were excitedly discussing how to lay out their training equipment when Mei Lin and Hagrid joined them.

Mei Lin was carrying a long, flat object wrapped in white.

Ranma didn't get a chance to speculate what it might be for as soon as she saw it Akane rushed forward to claim it. Unwrapping it with a certain reverence, Akane exposed a framed paper sign. On its face, hand drawn with great care, were the kanji announcing this to be a satellite of the Tendo/Saotome school of Anything Goes Martial Arts.

There were tears in Akane's eyes as she proudly presented it to the others.

Ranma had never really cared about teaching the art, seeing it only as a job a master had to do, but seeing the pride and joy on Akane's face he couldn't resist getting caught up in her dream. For the first time since their fathers announced the engagement he was looking forward to joining her in front of a class of students.

With Hagrid's help they mounted the sign Soun had crafted above the door of their room, high enough that it could be read above the heads of anyone but Hagrid himself.

That taken care of, with apologizes Hagrid informed them that he had to leave on school business but invited them to join him in his hut on the grounds for a cup of tea.

With a final "Welcome to Hogwarts Akane." the giant departed.

Mei Lin stood watching the young couple. Akane was admiring their dojo's sign, the smile on her face so bright it gave off warmth that could actually be felt. Ranma stood admiring Akane, falling in love with her all over again.

****

As Mei Lin and Akane followed Ranma to the Saotome's private chambers, they both witnessed his increasing nervousness and apprehension. They wondered what was bothering him, Ranma feared what Akane would do when she discovered that they only had one bed.

Entering the sitting room they found Akane's luggage waiting in neat stacks on the floor, placed their by the school's house elves.

"Akane, Ranma"

Mei Lin captured their attention before the dark haired girl could get lost in unpacking.

"I want to tell you how proud I am as your teacher and your friend. You have both worked hard and I am confident you will be very successful here."

She gave them a quick hug, it had to be to keep Akane from growing jealous. Something else she had learned over the summer.

"I have to take my leave of you, I promised Nodoka and Kasumi that I would join them for dinner to celebrate your arrival at Hogwarts."

"Mei Lin, wait."

Matching action to words, Akane took the older woman by the wrist before she could move away.

"Mei Lin, Ranma, there is something I want to tell you. Something I didn't even know myself before yesterday."

Seeing that she had their undivided attention, Akane went to one of her bags and opening it took out the only picture her father had allowed her to remove from her mother's album, holding the framed photo up where the others could see it.

Looking at the picture, wondering what Akane was talking about, both Mei Lin and Ranma were surprised to see that the people in the photo were moving. There were five people, all dressed in Hogwarts class robes.

"My mother attended Hogwarts. She was a witch."

Ranma was a little slower on the uptake then Mei Lin and he was still trying to catch up while the Chinese girl was already picking out details of the picture. There, second from the left, was a familiar looking Japanese girl with short dark hair. The students in the picture were all wearing the yellow and black scarves of house Hufflepuff.

'Well' she thought to herself, 'that explains why Akane's father knew so much about us.'

Holding the frame affectionately, her eyes focused on the image of her teenage mother smiling and waving at the camera, Akane told them what her father had revealed.

"My mother attended Hogwarts. She returned to Japan to marry father, but he told us that she always hoped we might follow in her footsteps."

Akane stopped, choked up from emotion.

Ranma didn't know what to say but he tried, managing to chew on only a few of his toes.

"Hey Akane, you sure look a lot like her. I guess that explains why your so much better at magic then martial arts."

Luckily for him she was too caught up in the moment to catch the unintentional slight.

Mei Lin was a little better at this.

"That's incredible Akane. Imagine, you are a second generation student at Hogwarts. I wonder if you would have been sorted into the same house? Hufflepuff values loyalty and hard work above all else and you certainly exhibit those qualities."

Akane beamed with pleasure at finding another tie between her and her mother.

"That's not all." She told them. Putting the picture down on the low table in front of the small couch, she returned to the bag from which she brought the picture.

"Father also gave me this, he said it was mother's."

From the bag she took a small Chinese dragon carved from jade. Showing it to the others they could see that it was between six and eight inches long and carved in exquisite detail, every claw and scale perfect.

"Daddy told me that it was given to mom by an English witch named Amelia, Amelia Pendleton. He said she was the one who brought mom to Hogwarts and she treated her like her own daughter."

Akane and Ranma were both too focused on the statue to notice the chill shadow that passed over Mei Lin when she heard that name.

Mei Lin had always been a student of history and when Valdemort returned she studied everything the ministry had about him. It was disturbingly sparse, she suspected that some of the records had been intentionally removed or destroyed, but one thing they still contained were the names of every witch and wizard the Death Eaters had ever killed. Amelia Pendleton and her muggle husband were high on that list, suspected to have been victims of the Dark Lord himself.

She didn't know why Valdemort had murdered the Pendletons, no one did, but given his recent return she didn't feel it was a good idea for anyone to announce a connection to them.

"Akane."

When the Japanese girl didn't respond quickly enough, Mei Lin threw etiquette to the wind and grabbed her by the arms.

"Akane!"

Now she had her attention, Ranma's to.

"I want you to promise me that you won't tell anyone about your mother's connection to Amelia Pendleton. Promise me you won't, not even your friends."

Statue laying forgotten in her hands, Akane looked at Mei Lin in confusion.

"Why? I...I was hoping to meet her, daddy said she was like family to mother."

"I'm sorry Akane, but Amelia and her husband died fifteen years ago. I can't tell you why, only promise that I will explain later. I can only ask you to trust me. Don't tell anyone about this, not till I know it is safe."

Ranma knew it, no matter where they went there was always some danger threatening them. It was like karma or something.

Akane looked a little shaken up but refused to show fear, though she did take comfort from the warmth of Ranma standing close behind her.

"I won't tell anyone, but Kasumi...daddy told her to and she doesn't know to keep quiet."

Having frightened them, Mei Lin tried to reassure them with a smile.

"Don't worry, I will see them as soon as I leave here. I'll warn her not to say anything. Don't worry you two. You're here to teach a class and as long as no one knows of a connection between you and Amelia you won't have to worry about getting swept up in our politics. Everything is going to be okay. There is no place safer than Hogwarts and the house in Watford is surrounded by friends. Trust me."

Still smiling, she left them, careful to wait until she was down the hall and around a corner before breaking out into a sprint. She had to get to Watford fast.

Back in their room Ranma's fear for Akane overrode his fear of her, temporarily freeing him from his difficulty showing emotion. Placing a hand high on her back, he leaned in close to her ear.

"Don't worry Akane, there ain't nothing we can't handle. Just let them try."

She felt a warm flush spread through her chest at his words. Not because of his attempt to reassure her, and not just because of the touch of his hand on her back, his lips against her ear. The warmth was because of what he didn't say. He promised to stand with her, but he didn't promise to protect her. He didn't treat her like she was weak or a burden, but like a partner. He treated her like his wife. In return she rewarded him with a smile that was everything he wished for.

The rumble of Ranma's stomach reminded them that it was almost time for lunch. The unexpected noise breaking the tension.

Putting the moment and Mei Lin's frightening words behind them, they set to unpacking Akane's things. Working quickly, each pretending not to notice the single bed in the room, they finished with her luggage and placing the small statue in pride of place over the bedroom mantel they left for the great hall.

****

Making their way to the great hall the Saotomes passed several students wandering the hallways. Given that Ranma and Akane were wearing school robes, only lacking the colored ties that designated house membership, no one gave them so much as a second glance.

At one point along the way they passed by a small group of fourteen or fifteen year old boys who were gathered in a window alcove. The boys were loud and exuberant, typical for children their age, and Akane couldn't help overhearing what they were saying. She was amused to discover that the topic of their conversation was a mysterious red head who arrived late on first night. Given their age it wasn't very surprising that they were focused less on who the girl might be and more on her spectacular build, made even more clear with hand gestures. Looking up at her husband she found Ranma had his eyes fixed on a point down the hall, ignoring the boys and their conversation. He was trying but the red blush spreading over his face and down his neck gave him away, letting her know he heard them.

Akane used a gentle elbow in the side to get his attention, the look on her face demanding an explanation.

He knew it was pointless to ignore her, once something had her attention Akane was as relentless as a bull dog.

Releasing a long suffering sigh, he tried to explain without making it sound like a big deal.

"It was raining the night I arrived." He whispered.

She responded with a raised eyebrow.

"So, why didn't you use the magic tea pot? That is why Kasumi and I bought it for you."

Blushing even harder he avoided looking at her and she could hear the shame and embarrassment in his voice.

"I intended to...but I forgot."

"Baka." She mocked him in a soft voice.

Following him through the doors into the great hall, she was greeted by the sight of four long tables and milling students. Glancing towards the man beside her she saw that his eyes were fixed on something overhead. Looking up to see what was so interesting Akane got her first view of the magical ceiling.

Staring in wonder she watched the illusion of clouds moving across the sky, she even saw the contrails of an airplane flying high overhead. She knew it wasn't real, she could make out the vaulted ceiling hidden behind the clouds, but it looked so real. Her steps faltered, enraptured by the view above she came to a stop.

A playful smile on his face, Ranma leaned in close in the noisy room and softly whispered "Baka" in her ear. The smile seemed to be inviting her to share an inside joke.

"Forgot huh?" She responded back her own voice playful.

"Yep" he replied, "I was distracted and by the time I realized it was already too late."

Laughing quietly to themselves, they made their way through the throng of students to stand before the faculty table.

Rising to his feet, Dumbledore invited them to take two empty seats between Hagrid and Flickwick. After a quick bow, they made their way to their seats.

The two friendliest of the school's professors welcomed them. Hagrid asking Akane if she had finished settling in, making her promise to call on him if they needed any help.

Akane thanked him for his help and warm welcome, giving him a grateful smile that left the giant a little flustered.

While Flickwick started up a conversation with Ranma, a debate over the virtues of Eastern magic vs. Western in a duel.

Once all of the students had found their places Filch closed the door and Professor Dumbledore rose to his feet to greet them.

Ranma tensed at the sight of Miss Norris lying in the skinny man's arms, but the length of the room and all of the people between them was enough for him to easily hold down the fear of the Neko-ken.

His presence quickly garnering the attention of the room, Dumbledore welcomed everyone to dinner and expressed his hope that they had all settled easily into their rooms and houses. Finishing his usual beginning of year spiel, he went on to announce that this year they will have two new guest instructors at Hogwarts. Asking Akane and Ranma to stand, he introduces the Saotomes to the students.

At the Gryfindor table, Harry and his friends were just as surprised as everyone else.

"Their going to be instructors?" Harry said incredulously. "They can't be much older than us."

Hermoine nodded in agreement. She was trying to remember when she had heard the name Akane before.

Ron didn't appear to have heard, the expression on his face a mixture of unease and longing.

"They're married?"

Giving the students a minute to get the surprise out of their systems, Dumbledore informed them that at the request of the Ministry the Saotomes would be teaching a supplementary defense course. While the students who had already passed their OWLS could choose whether or not to attend, all students were encouraged to and the younger students would be required to. Each student would attend two days a week, after their normal classes. He apologized for any inconvenience from the additional work load and went on to tell them that the schedule would be posted outside the great hall on Friday. Wishing everyone a good appetite, he returned to his seat signaling the beginning of lunch.

Ranma began to eat at superhuman speed, only to be brought up short by Akane's elbow in his ribs.

"Your embarrassing us, baka." She whispered.

With an effort, Ranma proceeded to finish at a still fast but more acceptable pace.

After lunch Ranma and Akane returned to their classroom, spending the rest of the day finishing setting up the additional equipment Akane brought from Japan.

Ranma also did a fair bit of whining about the professors, except for Hagrid and Flickwick. Warning Akane of their apparently bigoted opinion of the martial arts.

Akane didn't entirely believe him knowing how Ranma would overreact to what he perceived to be an insult or challenge. Even so, he was making her apprehensive about her own meeting with the Hogwarts staff.

****

When the time came to return to the great hall for supper, the Saotomes found that though they were not the focus of every students attention, they were garnering far more than their fair share.

To Akane's annoyance, Ranma spent the entire evening hovering possessively over her.

'Sure' she thought to herself, 'when I wanted him to drive that pervert on the bus away he couldn't be bothered to wake up. Now when it doesn't matter he is going to play the territorial jerk.'

She did her best to ignore him, literally, spending the meal making small talk with Hagrid.

Ranma fumed, ignoring professor Flickwick's attempts to draw him into conversation. The little man wasn't insulted though, he recognized the signs of teenage jealousy and was only too glad those days were behind him. Still, Akane was very pretty and looking out over the student body he could see that she was drawing more than a few stares from the male population. Of course he noted, so was Ranma from the females of the species. Smiling to himself, inwardly he was chuckling at the promised potential for excitement the Asians offered just by being here. With all of the tension and fear over the return of 'you know who', he felt Hogwarts could use a bit of distraction.

After the meal was finished and the students filed from the room, Akane was continuing to ignore her husband when professor McGonagall approached them.

"Mr. and Mrs. Saotome, if I might have a moment of your time."

Seeing that she had their attention and not having yet met Akane, she introduced herself.

"I am Professor Minerva McGonagall and I also serve as the head of house Gryfindor and as deputy headmistress of Hogwarts. Professor Dumbledore apologizes that he can't attend to the matter personally, but has instead asked me to meet with you to arrange for your own educational needs. If you would join me in my office tomorrow before breakfast we can avoid any unnecessary waste of time."

Receiving Akane's promise to attend, she wished them a goodnight and walked away.

Once she was out of hearing range, Ranma gave a small 'woof' under his breath.

"What was that for?" Akane asked in her best annoyed, what is it now you baka, voice.

Still watching the departing professor, Ranma answered her in his own annoyed voice.

"Ever since I got here that woman has treated me like a dog. Go Ranma, stay Ranma. I'm about ready to bite her."

Her exasperation showing, she chided him.

"It can't be that bad Ranma. Your pride just can't handle not being treated like the most important person around, that's all."

Now he looked at her and she could see a small sliver of pain and anger at her words.

"Just wait Akane, you'll see what I mean tomorrow in her office. After they treat you like a stupid barbarian, then tell me I'm wrong."

****

With nothing important to do and each avoiding the topic of sleeping arrangements, they decided to spend what remained of the evening getting to know the layout of the school before stopping by Hagrid's hut to take him up on his offer of tea.

The gentle giant seemed inordinately happy to see them. In fact, Akane got the strong impression that he had been feeling down before the distraction of their arrival. He proved a very congenial host, offering them tea and muffins he had baked himself

( Ranma figured that even as hard as they were they were still better than Akane's ). Afterwards he told them a bit about the grounds and history of the school, his perspective being more down to earth then those they had received before.

He also told them about the forest and some of the creatures that dwelled there in, such as centaurs of all things.

Then, just before the bell in the school clock tower announced curfew, he happily introduced them to a hippogriff named Witherwings. Ranma thought he heard him start to call the strange bird horse something else before catching himself.

After that they left with the promise that they would visit again, leaving Hagrid looking much happier than he had when they first arrived.

They made their way back to their room, each troubled by the memory of the single bed that awaited them.

Occasionally exchanging nervous glances, the young couple entered their rooms. Standing in the sitting room, looking towards the bedroom door, Ranma nervously licked his lips.

"You...you can have the bed Akane, I'll sleep out here. I mean on the couch."

He was doing his best to look at anything but his young wife, so he never saw the small shadow of disappointment that briefly flickered behind the nervousness in her eyes as she looked from the bedroom door to the couch.

Akane wasn't ready to be a wife in more than name, but deep down, hidden beneath the fear of what that meant, a small part of her wanted to be.

She was grateful to Ranma for making the offer, but looking at the glorified love seat that served as their couch her conscience wouldn't allow her to accept in spite of her fear.

"No", she responded in a small voice. Then a little louder she adds "The couch is to small to be comfortable, and it wouldn't be right for me to claim that large bed while my 'husband' tries to sleep curled up in a ball" Her voice gave a small squeak as she went on to say "we can share the bed, but don't you try anything you pervert!"

Internally she was kicking herself, regretting her words and the fear that drove them forth when she saw Ranma flinch at the word 'pervert'.

"I won't do anything Akane" he promises, "I'll just wait out here while you get ready, okay".

Feeling guilty and more than a little afraid that she has just driven them back to were they where before coming to England, Akane stood on tip toe and gave Ranma a peck on the cheek.

"Thank you" she says in a breathy voice before quickly brushing past and into the bedroom.

Taking out her wand she waves it at the fireplace igniting a cheery blaze to dispel the chill in the air.

Opening the drawer containing her night clothes her eyes fell upon the plain black box Nabiki gave her before she left. Inside she knows is a shockingly sheer red teddy. For a moment she wrestles with the desire to welcome Ranma to their bed while wearing the sexy garment. Her heart races at the thought of the how his face would look if he saw her in it.

"Let him say I'm unsexy after that".

Her hand hovers above the box for several minutes before she seems to deflate.

Reaching into the drawer she pulls out her old yellow pajamas then slides the drawer shut, hiding the black box from view once more.

Several minutes later she opens the bedroom door a crack and tells Ranma that he can come in now, before rushing to hide under the covers. She watches as Ranma timidly enters the room, barely glancing in the direction of the bed he gathers his toiletries and disappears into the rest room.

Akane waits nervously watching the door until it opens and out comes a petite red head in a long t-shirt.

"I thought you might be more comfortable if I slept as a girl, since we'll be in the same bed I mean. I can sleep on top of the blankets if you like". Ranma-Chan was trying to act nonchalant, but Akane could hear the underlying fear in her voice.

Feeling her own fears alleviated by the knowledge of Ranma's, she lifted the blankets high enough to expose her own yellow clad torso. Giving her spouse a warm smile, she tells her "Get in here baka".

Ranma flashes her a timid smile that instantly reminds her of what Ollivander said about unicorn wands and innocence.

****

Akane was dreaming. She knew she was dreaming because it had that surreal quality that reality, even with magic, can never achieve. In her dream she was wearing her Hogwarts' robes and she could feel the smooth haft of her wand resting in her palm. She was standing in a place that wasn't a place, surrounded by a thick white fog that seemed more like clouds.

She couldn't see the ground through the fog but every now and then she would catch a quick glimpse out of the corner of her eye of a long, sinuous form covered in greenish blue scales swimming through the fog. She was trying to follow the form with her eyes when she suddenly found herself face to face with her mother.

Her mother looked no older than she did and was wearing the same black robes. The youthful image of her mother reached out and took her hand, the one holding the wand, in her own.

Akane's memories of her mother were usually quite hazy, but here in this dream her mother's face was clear and distinct. Akane could see now that though there were elements of her father in her own face and form, she took mostly after her mother. The teenaged Kimiko smiled at her with lips and eyes so like her own, and though she couldn't hear her and her lips didn't move, she knew her mother had just told her how proud and pleased she was to see her.

Behind her Akane could hear a faint chuckle, a warm deep tenor, but she quickly forgot it as her mother drew her into a tight embrace.

Slowly rising from the dream, Akane awoke to a dark room dimly light by the flickering embers of the magical fire, and the comforting warmth of a small body clasped tightly to her bosom.

Still lost in a state of semi sleep, she thought she could still hear the faint chuckling from her dream, then she realized she could hear a faint sound, but it wasn't chuckling. It was purring, Ranma was purring.

With that realization came awareness that the warm body held against her own was her 'wife'. Ranma-Chan was wrapped securely in her arms, sleeping peacefully.

Akane could just make out her face and the flickering light of the fire seemed to soften it somehow. The purring Ranma-Chan had such a sweet and innocent look on her face, like a small child who felt completely safe and content. Akane couldn't resist, leaning in closer, she gave the red head a soft kiss on the fore head. Ranma-Chan shifted a little in her sleep when Akane pulled back, her lips in a delicate pout that almost undid Akane right there and then. Deciding that she was too tired and comfortable to be unsure about their current positions, Akane snuggled back down into the joint between Ranma's neck and shoulder and let the sound of her spouse's purring lull her back to sleep. As she was fading out she again thought she heard a faint chuckle.

Author's Notes:

I tried to do a better job of proof reading this chapter and even found a reference to the 'marital arts', something Ranma knows nothing about.

In regards to Ranma's disdainful remark about relying on a wand in a duel;

First, this is Ranma, what did you expect.

Second, maybe I should have written it "just waving your wand". Ranma isn't discounting the value of a wand, just voicing his contempt for anyone who relies on only one thing. For anyone who doesn't feel fists would hold any value in a wizard's duel, ask Neville Longbottom, he used his to great effect in the Order of the Phoenix.


	6. Chapter 6 Heart of Akane

Chapter 6: Heart of Akane

Thursday morning began with the tolling of the bells in the clock tower, announcing that it was time to rise and prepare for the day.

Akane was used to waking up to the tones of an alarm clock, while Ranma usually endured a more 'physical' method. This was something for which Akane was currently very grateful as it meant she awoke first. For upon waking, she found Ranma-Chan laying nose to nose with her.

"Five...five more..." Ranma muttered, rolling over to bury her head in her pillow.

Holding her breath, Akane carefully slid out of the bed. She wasn't ready to face the ramifications of sleeping in Ranma's arms ( or the other way around either ). As long as Ranma didn't know she could put off dealing with being a married couple sharing a bed. Doing her best to be silent, she gathered her bathing items while watching for any signs that Ranma was waking. Slipping into the bathing room she released a sigh of relief.

'That' she thought to herself, 'could have been very awkward.'

After finishing her morning ablutions, she wasn't too surprised to find Ranma was still asleep.

As she looked from Ranma lying in bed, to the bathing room door she just exited, a mischievous grin spread across her face.

Ranma's girl form was significantly smaller than his boy form, small enough for her to carry. Deciding that it would help him relax and feel more at home, she resolved to wake him in the traditional manner.

Propping open the bathroom door, she carefully gathered her sleeping spouse into her arms. Praying that the red head wouldn't wake up, Akane carried her into the bathing room. Standing beside the great marble basin recessed into the floor, taking one last look at the pout on Ranma's face, she tossed her spouse into the bath.

The now male Ranma came bursting back to the surface of the bath, sputtering and coughing, already cursing his pop out of habit for the rude awakening .

Laughing on her way out the door, she yelled back in Japanese "Wake up baka. We have an appointment with McGonagall and I will not let you make us late!"

Cursing un cute tomboys everywhere, Ranma brushed the wet hair away from his face. It took him a moment to remember where he was and when he did a part of him was grateful he didn't wake up in bed with her.

He didn't think he was ready to face that yet, to face her in that way.

Looking at the positive side of things, he hadn't felt this rested or slept straight through the night since before Jusendo.

Maybe sharing a bed with his wife wasn't so bad after all.

****

Akane didn't share her husband's antipathy to asking directions and the two made their way quickly to Professor McGonagall's office despite never having been there before.

Knocking on the heavy wood door resulted in a rumbling echo reminiscent of the opening scene from a Hammer Halls film ( it turned out that Kasumi of all people had a thing for old English horror films, or maybe it was a thing for Christopher Lee. He was older after all ). When the door opened they half expected to find a hunchback, munching on insects, waiting on the other side. Instead they found no one, just the sound of a voice echoing about the room.

"Well, are you coming in? Classes start all too soon and we don't have time to waste lollygagging about."

Already thinking about blood sucker movies, Ranma let a comment slip out without intending to. "Sounds like she woke up on the wrong side of the coffin."

Akane gave him a hard elbow to the sternum.

"Be nice Ranma. I want to make a good impression. It's no wonder the professors treat you badly if you act like this around them."

Ranma held his tongue, settling for casting dirty looks at the back of her short haired head.

McGonagall's office was big, a waste of space by Japanese standards. The open space, stone walls and floor, combined with the massive edifice of oak and birch she used for a desk made it quite intimidating. Still they were both relieved to note the complete absence of palm trees.

"Well, come in, come in." Professor McGonagall called to them in her shrill voice, hardly looking up from the papers upon which she was scratching with an old fashion quill pen.

Ranma threw Akane an 'I told you so' look, then they started across the room. There were very few furnishings in the room, just a couple of straight backed chairs placed squarely before the desk. Unlike Dumbledore's office which was buried under knick knacks and magical oddities, the only decorations in the deputy headmistress' office were the paintings lining the walls. Images of bitter faced old men and women, all wearing Hogwarts robes and disapproving looks as they followed the progress of the young couple. All in all it felt to Ranma like they were approaching a vengeful judge and he didn't even know what he did wrong. He quietly reminded himself of his promise to Akane to make this work.

"Take a seat." McGonagall told them once they reached her desk, never once bothering to look up from her writing.

Only after the two were seated in the hard and uniquely uncomfortable chairs did she put her work aside and give them her undivided attention.

"Good morning, I hope you slept well." She said with a tight smile, clearly trying to put them at ease. Too bad it was long since too late.

"Now Akane, I'm sure your husband has told you what to expect and I can assure you it won't be as bad as he said."

Ranma gave a small snort, drawing a more natural smile from the old harridan.

"Now I have arranged for each of the relevant professors to stop by my office this morning to test your knowledge and ability to use a wand."

Seeing Ranma rolling his eyes she decided to make a dig of her own on the pig tailed boy.

"It shouldn't take as long as it did for your husband as I doubt you could do any worse than he did."

She paused to remove the narrow reading glasses from their perch on the ridge of her sharp nose.

"Based on Ranma's performance we have already concluded that you will both require personal tutoring to make up for your late start, both to help you and if you are to have any hope of successfully teaching your own classes. These tests will just be used to determine where it would be best to start. It's okay dear, we understand that you didn't enjoy the advantage of attending Hogwarts at a young age."

Akane bit back on her anger and on her lower lip.

She has always been a good student, even with the distractions of Kuno and Ranma's rivals and fiancées. She wasn't used to being treated like...well, like Ranma.

"I understand Professor." Her voice was filled with an unaccustomed timidity that set off Ranma's protective instincts and his ire.

McGonagall wasn't blind, she could see his rising hostility.

"Getting angry won't help Mr. Saotome. If you intend to teach at Hogwarts you will have to learn to control your temper."

Ranma was gripping the arms of his chair so tight his knuckles were turning white.

Reaching over, Akane placed her hand on his, trying to rein in his anger but it wasn't enough. Ranma had felt belittled since his arrival and his pride would take no more.

"Sensei" He addressed McGonagall, his voice tight. "You are quick to point out how little we know of your art, but how much do you know of mine? You say we can't teach but we aren't here to teach wand waving, we are here to teach fighting. Something I think we know better than you."

"Mr. Saotome," her voice rang with disapproval. "we are here to teach our students to be witches and wizards, not...fighters. Magic is a wonderful thing, not just a tool for...thugery."

"Thugery?!...Listen you old ghoul, I don't practice my art just to pick on the weak. If that was all I desired I would buy a gun and be done with it!"

"Ranma!" Akane grabbed hard onto his forearm to get his attention. "Remember your promise." She hissed.

Ranma didn't normally have a hard time holding in his emotions, but his pride was another matter and it had taken one blow too many.

"My promise? Akane, they don't want us here! Their minister may have invited us but they have no respect for us or our art. To them we are barbarians. They are more arrogant than Prince Herb and with less reason."

"I don't care!...Ranma...husband, my mother graduated from this school and I...I want to as well. Please, for me?"

To Ranma's amazement she wasn't blowing her temper or striking him, it was much worse. She was giving him those puppy dog eyes and little girl pout, turning his insides to guilt riddled mush.

"Okay Akane, I'll try. I promise you this though, by the time we leave they will have learned to respect us."

Akane wanted to scream and rage at him, demanding his compliance, but one thing she learned this summer was a better way to handle him. Without the interference of the other fiancées and rivals, Akane had learned how to manipulate her husband in a way that he couldn't resist. So she smiled at him and he folded like a wet towel.

"Thank you Ranma." She whispered in a husky voice. "Why don't you go work on our new dojo, I'll be fine here. I can handle a few professors."

Ranma didn't want to go but he couldn't think straight much less argue in the face of that smile.

"All right Akane, I'll be waiting for you. Just because we're gonna be learning to wave sticks around doesn't mean we can slack off in our own training."

She walked with him to the door, closing it behind him, leaning her head against it with a relieved sigh before returning to her seat.

Professor McGonagall watched the young man leave with a heart full of exasperation.

"Thank you Akane. I don't wish to insult you or your husband, but I fear that he has no appreciation for what we do here."

Akane shook her head sadly and her voice was low and quiet as she spoke.

"I'm sorry sensei, but I'm afraid it is you who doesn't appreciate Ranma. I don't know what life is like for young people here in your community, but Ranma's life is all about the art. He started training before he could walk and his teacher, his father was very hard and demanding. Ranma didn't have a childhood or a home growing up and the few friends Genma allowed him were really rivals, opponents to push him to excel. All he has is the art and for him everything he does is just another facet of it." She released a small, amused smile. "He has even mastered martial art sewing."

She turned serious again. Her eyes boring into the older woman's, compelling her to understand Ranma's life.

"Ranma's training was merciless and hard and it has left him with scars much worse than his curse, memories that still fill his dreams with terror. When you belittle his art you make light of the sacrifices he has made in its pursuit."

She paused, drawing a deep breath before continuing.

"Understand sensei, you have challenged him and he will do whatever it takes to win. He promised that you will respect him and he won't quit until you do. Even if he has to bring this castle down on your heads...even if it kills him. Ranma Saotome doesn't lose, no matter what it takes."

****

When Akane returned to their classroom she found Ranma performing kata, and he was mad. It was easy to tell, he was putting too much force into his strikes and she wondered who he was imagining standing on the receiving end.

He stopped as soon as he noticed her enter the room, some of the tension easing from his frame.

"How bad was it?" He asked, clearly expecting the worst.

Akane had been considering how to answer that very question since leaving the deputy headmistress' office. She didn't think it went as bad as he predicted. Still, it wasn't an experience she ever wanted to repeat.

Hagrid of course was as friendly as ever and the little gnome of a man, Flickwick, was as pleasant as they come.

As for Professor McGonagall, once Ranma left the room so did all of the hostility. The professor was somewhat condescending when it came to their art but still, Akane felt that Ranma's response to her was way out of proportion and to be honest, out of character.

Severus Snape was an unmitigated jerk. Anything else she could say about him would draw a look of disapproval from Kasumi.

There had been a moment of pleasant surprise when that over stuffed pin cushion of a potions instructor recognized her from the similarities she shared with her mother. He remembered Kimiko and though he said she struggled at first, she had shown a rare gift for potion making. Unfortunately the moment was fleeting. He just had to follow up his praise by explaining how disappointed he was when she left school to marry that..._muggle_.

Akane had been in England long enough to know what the word meant and her father was not a touki-rui. Not that she shared the wizarding world's contempt for non magic folk, but her father's art and skill deserved more recognition then that.

She decided that it would probably be best just to tell Ranma what he needed to know, best not to encourage his contrary behavior.

"The professors are each going to teach us outside of their normal classes and McGonagall-san is going to arrange for some of the school's best students to help us catch up."

Ranma hadn't been expecting them to make him the student of a student, but that wasn't what he wanted to know and she knew it.

"What did they say about your _performance_?" The tone of his voice let her know he wouldn't accept her dodging the question.

Akane was irritated that he was pushing her, so she decided to have a little fun at his expense. The hard part was keeping a straight face.

"Oh, they did say that I am three times the witch you are, even with your curse."

It took him a second to catch on to her little innuendo.

"Ha ha Tomboy."

She no longer found the appellation insulting, so instead of getting angry she was now laughing uncontrollably. It took twenty minutes for her to calm down enough to stop.

****

The Saotomes never appeared in the Great Hall, so after lunch Albus Dumbledore went looking for them. He didn't find them in their rooms, or to his surprise in the large hall now designated as their dojo. Instead he found them in the vacant classroom he had set aside for their use as an office. Given their tender years and Ranma's blatant issues with authority figures, Dumbledore expected to find them sulking. He was gratified to find them instead seated on the floor surrounded by books, some of which he even recognized, discussing the curriculum for their class.

He cleared his throat to get their attention.

"While I am glad to see that you are taking your responsibilities to the students seriously, it would not be a good thing for you to weaken yourselves with hunger to the point that you can not teach."

Their initial response was an intelligent "Huh?"

Followed by Akane's eyes opening wide as she realized the time.

"Ranma, we've missed lunch!"

Ranma stared at her like she had just announced that the sky was falling, then he checked his pulse to ensure he was still alive. 'How' he wondered, 'could I have missed lunch?'

"Yes, you have missed lunch and while normally we would punish students for their inattentiveness by letting them go without, we hold out a little more leeway for teachers."

Looking about, eyes down as if searching for something on the floor at his feet, Dumbledore called out "Lint."

To the surprise of the Saotomes, at his call, suddenly there behind him where nothing had been before, was a...something. They didn't know what it was, the closest they had seen to it so far were the goblins but this creature lacked their ingrained scowl and menace. It was a little over two feet tall, bald, with a long pointed nose and ears. Its eyes were large, soft and expressive. It was dressed in a simple white smock and cloth slippers.

"Ranma, Akane, I would like to introduce you to Lint. She is a member of our school's support staff and I have asked her to help you in any way she can."

The little creature threw them a timid wave and smile.

"It would be Lint's pleasure to serve. Please, don't hesitate to ask."

The Saotomes both bowed to her in greeting. Akane was trying to search for anything that might indicate the creature was in deed female without giving offense.

Ranma, despite Lint's bald head, couldn't help picturing her wearing a beautiful kimono over ninja gear.

"Lint" Dumbledore addressed the creature, "I'm afraid that Ranma and Akane missed lunch. Would you please fetch them something from the kitchens?"

The tiny little thing seemed to glow with pleasure at the opportunity to serve.

"It would be Lint's honor to do so great headmaster."

Then without further adieu, she vanished before their eyes.

Ranma's neck swiveled around wildly searching for the little creature, while Akane looked at Dumbledore.

"I don't wish to be rude Headmaster, but what was...I mean...Lint?"

There was just no way to ask that question without it sounding bad.

Albus smiled, letting her know that it was okay.

"Lint is a house elf. She and her kind have been serving the wizarding world for centuries. No one now remembers why."

In no time Lint reappeared, two platters floating untouched above her head loaded down with food.

After the Saotomes had a chance to eat, Dumbledore remained for nearly forty minutes asking them questions about how they planed to teach their classes. Once he was satisfied with their answers, he reminded them that their first class would be held on Monday. Then he said goodbye until supper and left.

****

After the flamboyant departure of the Weasley twins during last years OWLS, the remaining pranksters of Hogwarts were almost desperate in their drive to be the ones to fill in the void they left. While no one would actively seek to hurt another student

( or even Miss Norris ), their drive to capture attention with bigger and badder pranks had already resulted in more than a few cases of minor vandalism ( green slime for example ) and it was only a matter of time before someone was hurt.

The staff was doing everything it could to curb this dangerous trend, Snape was running himself ragged taking points from the various houses and for once not all of the large point deductions were attached to the names Harry Potter and Ron Weasley.

Their efforts were not entirely in vain, several plots had been uncovered and stopped before any disruption was created but several had also gotten through.

For example, one clever muggle born student from Ravenclaw somehow managed to arrange for a platter of pastries laced with a non magical laxative to be delivered to the Slytherin common room. Given that the Slytherin rooms are located in a deep dungeon without any windows, the results were unpleasant to say the least. Unfortunately for the clever witch Professor Snape managed to keep knowledge of the event restricted to house Slytherin.

Still, the remaining pranksters tried...and tried...and tried...

First and foremost among their ranks was the sole remaining member of the Hogwarts three musketeers and mischief society ( three stooges if you asked Snape ), Jordan Lee. Not only did Jordan enjoy the advantage of having learned his trade along side the two singularly gifted red heads, Fred and George Weasley, he also enjoyed full access to several prototypes not yet released to ( or is that unleashed upon ) the anxious public.

The professors were not ignorant of Mr. Lee's proclivities and put great effort into curbing his activities, meaning he couldn't leave house Gryffindor without Filch stepping on his shadow. They did their best but one thing Jordan was not suffering from was a lack of willing volunteers, several of which had stealthily infiltrated the Great Hall during the night.

****

With their class holding its first session on Monday and knowing that their own lessons would begin as well, the Saotomes dedicated the entire school day to their preparations. They remained cloistered within their dojo until the clock tower bell announced the approach of the evening meal.

After a quick stop by their suite to clean up and don dress robes ( amidst Ranma's grumbling ), they made their way through the bustling students to the Great Hall.

It was pouring rain outside ( not a surprise on the isles in fall ) and while the weather meant little to those sheltered within the stout walls of the castle, it did mean that the ceiling of the Great Hall was obscured from view by the illusion of thunderheads and falling rain. Much like it was the night of Ranma's arrival.

The Saotomes were becoming inured to the sight of the magical display and didn't spare it a second glance upon entering. Ranma was about to be reminded of the dangers of complacency.

Unknown to all but a few, hidden among the clouds was a slender cord. No thicker than a human hair and as colorless as fishing line, the invisible cord zig zagged its way across the room leaving no corner beyond the reach of its shadow.

Ranma and Akane were about halfway across the hall, fully under that shadow, when one of Jordan's cohorts used his wand to trigger the magic bound within the cord above.

Suddenly the rain falling from above was all too real and making its way the full distance to the floor.

Mere seconds after the rain began to pour down upon the room, a quick acting Snape whipped out his wand countering the miscreant magic and ending the downpour.

McGonagall looked on in dismay, her face wearing a stern look of disapproval. Especially since she was sitting close enough to Albus Dumbledore to overhear him laughing quietly into his beard.

Snape's quick action saved most of the room from suffering more than a slight wetting, though by some strange happenstance the Slytherin table seemed to have suffered from an especially heavy downpour, as in a wall of water, and the students there were quite damp.

Also, though not really part of the pranksters original plan, the brief shower triggered Ranma's curse. The now female Ranma quickly found herself in the attention of several students. They didn't see the actual change or even notice the once male Ranma enter the room, but word quickly spread of the return of the mysterious red head. Everyone, other than Crab and Doyle, also noticed that she was wearing a Hogwarts uniform ( even if it was a boy's uniform ) and standing with Akane.

Mortified, Ranma turned to flee, only to be stopped by Akane's hand on her wrist.

"Baka", Akane whispered in Japanese, "if you leave now it will only make them suspicious".

Ranma cringed under the weight of all those stares, unconsciously drawing closer to Akane.

Still holding Ranma's wrist Akane drew her along towards the teacher's table.

Neither even noticed as they passed Filch trying to coax Miss Norris out from her hiding place under the Gryffindor table, were she took refuge from the sudden deluge.

Reaching the head table Akane bowed to Dumbledore and the other professors, clumsily followed by a self conscious Ranma. Still leading Ranma by the wrist she rounded the table and took their places between Hagrid and Flickwick.

Ranma was practically ready to jump out of her skin, her sensitive ears actually twitching as she listened to the speculation that was spreading through the room like wildfire.

Seeing her apprehension, the kind hearted Professor Flickwick reached over covering her hand with his, smiling at her in reassurance.

Almost jumping out of her seat when she felt his hand grasp hers, Ranma quickly relaxed under his kind gaze. In quiet gratitude she flashed him that shy, vulnerable smile, causing him to forget her true nature just long enough to wish he was decades younger and two feet taller. Blushing as his mind caught up to his errant thoughts, Flickwick gave her hand one last reassuring pat before releasing it and turning his attention to Dumbledore.

Once the Saotomes had taken their seats Dumbledore rose from his own, his silent gaze urging the students to quickly return to theirs. Only Filch, who was currently fleeing the room in pursuit of Miss Norris, failed to find his place and quietly await Dumbledore's words.

Once he had everyone's attention, Dumbledore addressed the room.

"While the rain was quite bracing and no doubt will only serve to wet our appetites,"

A soft groan from Professor McGonagall at his pun brought a brief lift to the corners of his lips.

"and though I too can appreciate such a … creative application of magic, it shows a lack of consideration for some of those present."

Dumbledore's eyes were planted firmly upon the dripping members of house Slytherin, but his thoughts were secretly on Ranma and the fear and embarrassment in her eyes after her unexpected change. While he would expect some discomfort to be associated with the curse, hers seemed all out of proportion to what the situation warranted. He wondered just what in her past had contributed to the fear and shame he saw in her eyes. He resolved to not only try to draw Ranma out with private conversation, but to also discuss her reaction to the curse with Akane. Perhaps she would know how best to help Ranma come to terms with her dual nature.

For now there was a meal to attend to and with a wave of his left hand, he still kept the right hidden within his robes, Dumbledore summoned forth the night's meal.

Ranma tried to relax and focus on her food but she was still too aware of the whispers circulating around the room. Why did she always seem to attract so much attention? Sensing her spouses unease, Akane secretly reached under the table and place her left hand on Ranma's right thigh in what was intended to be a reassuring gesture.

Instead of being put at ease by the gentle touch of her wife's hand, Ranma felt a different sort of reaction rising up within her. She felt the flush of a full body blush spread over her skin.

Ranma normally hated wearing a uniform and had adamantly refused to wear one at Furinkan, but right now she was grateful for the way her Hogwarts robes hid the obvious signs of growing arousal.

****

After dinner the Saotomes quietly made their way back to their rooms. They had to duck through a girls restroom that opened into two parallel halls to lose some curious boys. It seemed that the students at Hogwarts had nothing better to occupy their minds than learning the identity of the mysterious red head and her relationship to the Saotomes. When at last they returned to their suite, Ranma once again waited in the sitting room while Akane changed for bed. The signs of Ranma's arousal still hadn't subsided by the time Akane finished changing. So nervous about Akane's reaction to her perverted body, Ranma again volunteered to sleep on the couch pointing out that her female form was smaller and wouldn't be as crowded on the small love seat. The look Akane gave her was answer enough.

"We've already been through this Ranma" she said in exasperation. "I don't blame you for there being only one bed… and I won't let anything happen that I don't want."

Giving Ranma a hard look. "Move it baka." she commanded, pointing to the restroom. Sighing in defeat Ranma passed through the door.

When she came out, again in a long t-shirt, Ranma moved quickly to the bed and dived under the covers hoping Akane wouldn't notice what was showing through the front of her shirt. Akane didn't seem to notice, at least she didn't respond with anger if she had. The lights dimmed and curling up on opposite sides of the bed, the two girls drifted into sleep.

****

Akane was dreaming again. Like the night before she was surrounded by wispy clouds of fog but this time she could just make out the stone floor beneath her feet and several columns standing nearby. She could also hear the gurgling sound of water.

Clearly this time she heard the sound of chuckling. Turning quickly towards the sound she caught a glimpse of blue green scales passing behind one of the columns.

"Welcome back little Tendo." The voice echoed about the dream space, making it impossible to track its source. "I am very pleased to meet you. It has been so long since Kimiko last visited with me."

"You knew my mother?" Akane asked with some excitement, forgetting that she had no idea who or what she was talking to.

She was so young when her mother died, and desperately hungry for anything that brought her closer to her.

"Yes, I knew your mother very well. As I hope to get to know you."

"M-my name is Akane, what's yours?"

"Kimiko called me Kouryuu, I would be pleased if you did the same."

Akane smiled, just the sound of the voice somehow made her feel a connection to her mother.

"I would be honored to. Can I see you?"

"When your ready, I think right now I might scare you. Besides, I think your companion needs you more."

"Who? You mean Ranma?"

"Is that her name? She is a strange one, earlier she seemed quite…" an amused chuckle, ".. excited to be with you. Now all I sense from her is terror. What could she be so afraid of?"

"Ranma?" Akane looked around, worry seeping into her heart. "Where is he?"

"Behind you." The voice was so close she could feel its breath on the back of her neck.

Surprised, Akane whipped around. Something seemed to be holding her back, as if it was wrapped around her body, entangling her legs. Somehow she now seemed to be laying down, and everything was dark. As she became more fully aware, Akane realized that she was wrapped up in her blankets. Taking a moment to disentangle herself she turned towards Ranma's side of the bed.

Sometime during the night Ranma had kicked off her share of the blankets and now she lay exposed to the cold night air. She was shivering and curled into a tight ball.

As Akane watched she realized that Ranma wasn't just shivering from the cold, she was quietly sobbing. Akane slid closer, raising the blankets back up to cover her spouse. When she drew close enough she could just make out snatches of speech from the sleeping Ranma.

"Akane…" she softly cried out, ".. don't leave… I lo… please…" Ranma's voice trailed off in shuddering sobs.

"Ranma." Akane tried to sound soothing as she wrapped her arms around the shivering girl, "I'm right here, I won't leave you."

Her voice must have pierced through Ranma's veil of sleep because the smaller girl suddenly grasped Akane in a desperate embrace. Akane felt Ranma's tears on her cheek as Ranma held tightly to her. After several shuddering minutes, Ranma finally calmed down. Her arms still embracing Akane, Ranma settled into a restful sleep.

Akane didn't understand, this wasn't like the cat dreams Ranma often had. Was Ranma afraid that she would leave him? Too tired to puzzle out her spouses behavior, Akane resolved to talk to Ranma in the morning. Pulling her 'wife' close, Akane allowed herself to fade back into a dreamless sleep.

****

It was Friday morning and Akane awoke before the bell. She wasn't quite as embarrassed to discover Ranma-Chan snuggled up against her as she was the mornings before.

Strangely she didn't even feel the slightest bit threatened by the intimate contact.

After that arrogant idiot Kuno made his announcement that no one could date her unless they first fought and beat her, the continuing morning attacks and the fear of what might happen if she lost made her panic at a boy's slightest touch.

Only her father and the long trusted Dr. Tofu had been safe in her mind.

To make matters even worse when the other girls became jealous of all the male attention Akane was receiving, instead of recognizing her morning efforts and proclamations of how much she hated boys as a cry for help, some had begun to spread rumors questioning her sexuality. Before long Akane was also afraid of any physical contact with other girls, afraid that it would be taken as proof that she wasn't normal. People had treated her differently and she knew that if she provided any proof at all that the rumors were true she would have been ostracized.

Then Ranma-Chan arrived.

Not only was Akane relieved that she would not be required to give herself to a perverted boy, add in Ranma's obvious fear and discomfort, and Akane found herself reaching out. Here was a girl who hadn't heard the rumors, who wasn't watching for proof that Akane 'leaned that way'. They had so much in common too, they both studied martial arts, they both had idiot fathers, and they both seemed so lonely. It's easy to understand why Akane felt an instant connection with the timid red head.

Then Ranma turned out to be a boy and the engagement was back on.

He was clearly a pervert, a freak, a threat and he was living in her own home.

Worse, he had already betrayed her.

She had reached out, opened her heart to a stranger, and found herself holding a viper, or would it be more appropriate to say she had a tiger by the tail.

The next day at school she had been so anxious to hide their connection, much as Ranma was to hide his curse, but just as water always finds a way to expose Ranma's secret, her sister Nabiki and Kuno exposed Akane's. Suddenly the whole school knew that she was engaged to Ranma and her protestations that she didn't want it, that it was arranged by her father, fell on the same deaf ears as her earlier cries for help.

Less than two days later it proved to be an unexpected boon.

The boys, the ones who ignored her when she said she didn't want them, that she hated them, the boys who kept coming back no matter how many times she beat them, suddenly proclaimed that they would recognize Ranma's claim to her and stopped their attacks. The girls who once turned their faces away from her, were suddenly looking up to her as a respected friend and champion. Even the girls who originally spread the rumors about her being a lesbian, who later made jokes about how Akane had a female lover with the perfect disguise, seemed more jealous than malicious. Only Kuno persisted in continuing to trouble her and even he was distracted by Ranma's presence, not to mention the 'pig tailed goddess'.

In one day, just by being present, Ranma succeeded in ending Akane's problems at school. What she had been unable to do, no matter how hard she tried, how much she suffered, Ranma accomplished without even trying.

She so wanted to hate Ranma for that, but Akane wasn't really cruel or hateful by nature and when she pursued Ranma outside and away from the pool, when she saw that shy little red head again, she instantly felt that earlier connection, still intact, still pulling on her heart strings. Akane's every attempt to hate Ranma was constantly being undermined by a splash of cold water. Every time she finally seemed to harden her heart against him, that shy red headed girl would reappear and steal her way into Akane's affections.

The only time Akane seemed to be able to really get angry with the red headed girl was when she showed her complete lack of feminine modesty, flashing her body to whoever happened to be around.

Intellectually Akane knew that it was Ranma's way of denying acceptance of his curse, but she couldn't help but be upset by it. At first it was just the residual fear of those perverts suddenly rushing forth to hurt her friend.

Then the heat of anger was slowly replaced by cold fear as Akane began to wonder if her fear wasn't really that her friend would be hurt, but that this girl that had stolen her way into her affections, would be stolen from her. Akane began to fear that what she was feeling was jealousy, that what she feared was that someone would steal the little red head's heart from her. Afraid that this girl was proving all the rumors true, that Akane really was a lesbian, a freak, Akane subconsciously latched onto Ryouga.

A boy who seemed sexually harmless, a boy who constantly attacked Ranma. She told herself that it was all Ranma's fault. That Ryouga wouldn't really, couldn't really, hurt Ranma.

Ryouga became her shield against what she felt for Ranma, and then P-Chan, whom Ranma seemed to hold an irrational anger against, became one more shield. It helped that both Ryouga and P-Chan seemed even more aggressive towards Ranma when he was in his cursed form.

P-Chan had remained a safe defense against Ranma, but she found her trust in Ryouga wavering. Sometimes, just for a moment when he thought no one was watching, she thought she saw the anger in Ryouga's eyes turn to the pain of rejection. She began to wonder if Ryouga's anger with Ranma wasn't really fueled by that stupid bread feud, but by unrequited passion.

She began to fear that she was in turn being used by Ryouga, that his friendship with her was his own shield against his desire for Ranma-Chan.

The confusion and frustration over her feelings for Ranma-Chan were twisting her emotions, increasing her anger. When Herb locked Ranma in his female form, Akane had been ridden with guilt because part of her hoped that Ranma would fail, that he would be forced to remain female. She felt shame because she resented him for taking away the girl that meant so much to her, the longed for friend.

Then 'he' had returned when she feared him dead on Mnt Horaisan.

Akane had been overwhelmed by relief when she saw him. Her fears were swept aside and she embraced him, a boy. Looking into his eyes she realized that no matter which form he wore, it was always Ranma looking back at her. Not a boy or girl, just Ranma.

It came as a great relief when she realized that when she dreamed of Ranma, she was her love, but he was the one she wanted for her lover.

After Jusendo, after Saffron, she finally understood that though Ranma-Chan would always be her best friend, it was the male Ranma that made her weak in the knees. Now when she looked back on the claims of those cruel girls that she had found the perfect lover with the perfect disguise, she knew they were right. She could have her lover, who was often disguised as her best friend.

As comfortable as she was, Akane didn't want a repeat of yesterday's awkward morning. So she tried to carefully disengage Ranma without waking her. It was a nice idea, but Ranma wasn't going for it. When Akane tried to release her arms, Ranma only shifted to get a better hold, her head burrowing down into Akane's chest. The position felt …interesting and Akane was trying hard not to notice the effect it was having on her. Akane gave a frustrated 'humph', even as Ranma was giving a soft, contented snore.

The school bell would ring any moment now, how was she going to escape this. She didn't know how long she had, there was no where to plug in her alarm clock, no where in the entire school apparently.

Ranma nuzzled her cheek against Akane's chest, causing her to giggle.

The light of inspiration went on as Akane got a deliciously wicked idea. She flexed her fingers and drew in several deep breaths in preparation, then she attacked.

Ranma came instantly awake as dancing fingers dug mercilessly into her ticklish sides. Even before she regained consciousness, she was rolling around on the bed in a desperate attempt to escape, her giggles echoing around the room.

After several enjoyable moments of watching Ranma squirm, Akane decided that her mission had been accomplished. Not only was Ranma awake, but she had no idea what position they had been in while she slept.

Akane admonished Ranma to get ready while she pulled on her sweats to go on her morning run. She hadn't done it since arriving at Hogwarts and though her workouts with Ranma provided more than enough exercise, she missed her morning routine. So while Ranma was grumbling about uncute tomboys, Akane was out the door and running down the hall.

****

Akane didn't know Hogwarts very well, to be honest she thought if she had spent her entire high school career here she still wouldn't know her way around. The castle was just so massive, it made Furinkun high look like a shoe box in comparison. There were so many halls, and rooms and towers. Even when you thought you had it figured out, things seemed to change. Stairs moved, doors seemed to appear and disappear. She wondered if there were any secret rooms and passages, weren't all castles supposed to have them? It was part of the castle building mind set, you want to build a castle, you also want to fill it with secret rooms and passages.

Still, she did know part of the castle well. She knew the way from their rooms to their class room and there was an exit nearby. Soon enough Akane was making laps around part of the castle's courtyard. In the distance she could just make out Hogsmead village beyond the lake and on a hill above the school was a large wooden stadium of some sort. She could see the tall towers that ringed the stadium and she didn't think it was for baseball. Over the summer Mei Lin introduced her to several wizard games that were different from the muggle version. Maybe wizards had their own form of baseball. Hearing the bell in the clock tower ringing Akane knew she needed to get back to her room to clean up for breakfast.

She reentered the castle and was making her way towards her rooms when she had an unfortunate encounter with two very unpleasant individuals, Crab and Doyle.

The two, seeing Akane alone and believing the little barbarian girl to be weak in magic, decided that she should be open to their own brand of charm.

Cutting her off in the hall, they went into a spiel about how she and her red headed friend should let them help. How with their 'friendship' the two could get in with the right crowd despite their inferior background. They tried to be charming, unfortunately they are idiots and bullies at heart and they only proved insulting.

When Akane, biting her tongue, told them that she and her friend weren't interested, Crab and Doyle fell back on old habits of physical intimidation. When Akane tried to leave Crab grabbed her arm, telling her that she wasn't going to walk away from them.

Though not quite the same, this scenario was distressingly similar to one with which she was all too familiar and all of the anger she held inside came pouring out.

Akane easily twisted out of his grasp and with a simple wristlock and throw she sent him face first into Doyle. The two were still trying to disentangle themselves when the harsh voice of disapproval shattered the morning silence.

Minerva McGonagall had arrived a little late.

"Mrs. Saotome," she ripped out in a scathing tone. "when I told your husband to refrain from fighting students in the hall I didn't expect the same problem from you."

Akane stood, mouth agape, dumbfounded.

While she had been known many a time to leap to conclusions of blame when arriving on scene in the middle of one of Ranma's fights, she had never been on the receiving end of such misguided presumptions herself.

She didn't recognize the parallels, but she knew she didn't like it.

"Sensei, their behavior towards me was unacceptable."

There were things Professor McGonagall didn't care for either, things she felt it necessary to clarify for the younger woman.

So in a long suffering voice she set out to explain.

"Akane, I don't know how they teach in Japan but here at Hogwarts we never correct a student with violence. If you are to continue here you will have to learn to control yourself."

"Control..."

Akane couldn't believe she was hearing this. It didn't help any that in the back of her mind she could hear Ranma's voice saying "Sit Booboo, sit. Good girl."

"Yes, control. How can we hope to maintain control of our students if we are unable to control ourselves."

McGonagall was just about to begin her favorite pep talk about the high standards held here at Hogwarts, when the younger woman stepped into her space. Akane's aura wasn't visible to the unaided eye, but it could be easily felt and it set off Minerva's fight or flight instincts. She was reaching for her wand when the Asian girl's temper verbally fired off

( Akane only tends to get physical with perverts, fiancées and of course Ranma ).

"Control! You English Tarts may be willing to play house with any pervert that shows an interest but I will not be dishonored that way! Any boy, student or teacher who grabs me after I tell him to leave me alone is going to pull back a bloody stump and count himself lucky he isn't facing his ancestors!"

Akane was visibly shaking now.

"These attacks are why I left Furinkan and I thought Hogwarts would be better!"

Angry and hurt, Akane fled leaving a stunned McGonagall standing there with wand half raised.

Confused and beginning to wonder if she really didn't know what exactly she had interrupted, the gray haired teacher turned to Crab and Doyle to demand an explanation.

The boys from Slytherin are idiots true, but they're not that stupid, nor were they still present. As soon as Akane flared her aura at the professor the purebloods fled the scene, leaving only an unpleasant scent behind as a reminder that they were ever there.

Author's notes:

Still working to improve my proof reading. Hopefully this chapter was better.

As for sorting Ranma and Akane into houses, I considered that but decided that having them there as teachers and a married couple it wouldn't really fit.

If I did sort them into houses I would definitely place Akane in Hufflepuff. In spite of her temper her character in the manga displays all of the traits associated with that house.

Ranma in Slytherin? Yes, I could see it and it would look more like Robocop than Ranma. Just imagining throwing Ranma and his ego into the middle of a crowd like Malfoy and his cronies is enough to start me laughing. I may have to write a story about that just to get it out of my system. I wonder how well the breaking point technique would go over in a room under the lake?

On a side note for any who might have wondered, I do not dislike the character Snape. Of all the professors at Hogwarts he just seemed like the one most likely to prove antagonistic to upstart outsiders.

touki-rui

According to the translation I found it means 'weak fighting spirit', making it a good name for non magic folk from the point of view of those with a martial view of magic.


	7. Chapter 7 Flashpoint

Chapter 7: Flashpoint

Akane needed time to cool off so she didn't return to her rooms immediately. She didn't want Ranma to see her until she had regained her calm. If he saw her like this there would be no controlling him and their time at Hogwarts would be over.

So instead she stopped by their new dojo to break a few practice dummies.

Once Akane had worked out her frustration, a wave of her wand and a couple recitations of 'Repairo' and the dummies were restored, good as new.

'That' she thought 'is a wonderful spell.'

Inspecting the newly remade dummies she thought of all the money they could have saved back at home with the help of that beginners spell. One so simple even Ranma could cast it.

'Even Shampoo wouldn't have been so annoying if all it took was the wave of a wand to erase the damage.'

Akane wondered if the Amazons knew this spell. If they did then that might explain why they thought so little of doors.

Ready to face Ranma again, she hurried back to their rooms.

When she entered their bedroom she found Ranma, wand raised, eyes intent upon one of his Chinese tunics. The wand disappeared as soon as she entered.

Ranma tried to hide it but she could tell he was frustrated with his inability to use a wand as well as her. She knew it was petty to take pleasure in his frustration, but then Ranma could be pretty petty too. Just look at how he acted after the Super Soba Noodles. Once Akane was no longer stronger than him he had insisted on arm wrestling her, over and over and over again to prove his superiority.

Now it was her turn to be better.

Oh, she knew that there were other things she was better at, such as school, but this was the first time she was better at something Ranma actually cared about. Even their sword play, while he was still overly competitive, she could tell he only did it for her.

Magic on the other hand was something Ranma wanted to master for himself and she knew it no matter what he claimed.

Try as he might though, she was still better with a wand. As much better as he was at their art. It felt good to exceed him at something they both wanted.

There was still a lesson here she could learn from her stubborn husband, one she took to heart. Even with all of the frustration and embarrassment he suffered, Ranma refused to give up. He tried to hide it but she knew he practiced whenever he could get away with it. She once even caught Ranma-Chan trying to teach some simple spells to Newt. He probably figured if the little girl could help him with his English, then she could help him learn magic as well.

****

The Saotomes had an appointment with Professor McGonagall and for once Akane was dreading it more than Ranma. She still didn't understand why he was so hostile towards the old woman, it wasn't like she kept splashing him while washing her sidewalk, but she had plenty of reason not to wish to see the woman herself. Akane wasn't angry about what the Professor said anymore, well yes she was but it wasn't affecting her behavior now. Still she wasn't anxious to look the woman in the eye without smacking her.

They were supposed to meet her in the teacher's lounge this time and again thanks to Akane's willingness to ask directions they arrived early. Early enough to overhear the tail end of McGonagall's conversation with Professor Snape.

"Severus, Albus has asked each house to provide their best student to help the Saotomes..."

"Yes, yes, but where is Albus now? Clearly he considers other things too be more important than Scrimgeour's little entertainment show for the plebeians and so do I. I will not ask one of my students to sacrifice their own education to help prop up this...farce."

"Severus, please..."

"No Minerva. Now if you'll excuse me I have duties to attend to," seeing the Saotomes entering the room, he finished what he was saying while looking directly at them. "I will leave the hand holding to you. Good day Professor." With that he left, passing Ranma and Akane without once acknowledging them.

"Think he's been taking social lessons from Ryouga?" Ranma asked sarcastically.

"Stop picking on Ryouga!" Akane responded with the practiced ease of repetition. "Ryouga is much better behaved. Even Kuno is better." The last was added under her breath and not even she could believe she said it.

Minerva approached them with a hesitancy in her step that was out of character for the normally confident witch. Like Akane it was a mystery to her why the Asian boy was so hostile towards her, she could think of nothing she had said or done to warrant it. With Akane though, there she knew why the younger woman would feel a measure of resentment. She never did manage to question either Crabbe or Goyle about what happened earlier that morning. She didn't feel it appropriate to offer the girl an apology when, even if the boys had behaved improperly, violence was not an acceptable response from a teacher or student. Now she had to deal with them overhearing Severus Snape's rude remarks.

She didn't know exactly what the headmaster was doing that took him away from the school but for the first time she resented him leaving this mess to her.

'Well, best not to let the young couple stew.'

"Mr. And Mrs. Saotome...Ranma, Akane. I hope you will not allow Professor Snape's poor choice of words to poison you against the rest of the Hogwarts staff. I want you to know that the other heads of house were more than happy to provide their best students as tutors."

Further conversation was interrupted by the door opening yet again, only instead of Snape this time it was a girl their own age and wearing a school uniform. She was wearing a crimson and gold tie and her hair was so curly the Asians found it hard to believe it was natural.

"Ah, Miss Granger, please come in, come in."

Ushering the girl in, McGonagall introduced her, the pride evident in her voice.

"This young lady is Hermoine Granger from my own house, Gryfindor. She is also house Prefect and one of the most intelligent students in Hogwarts."

The girl in question blushed at the praise.

"Now Miss Granger, I hate to impose upon you like this but I'm afraid that with Headmaster Dumbledore away from the school today I have other business that requires my attention. If it's alright with you I will leave the Saotomes in your capable hands."

"Of course Professor, I would be happy to help."

The smile McGonagall gave the girl was intended to be friendly, Ranma thought it looked constipated.

"Thank you Miss Granger. Your friend Cho from Ravenclaw and Gerald Dumas from Hufflepuff should be here soon. If you will take care of the introductions I'll leave the task of arranging a tutoring schedule to work out among yourselves."

She gave the Saotomes an apologetic smile.

"Akane, Ranma, I'm sorry I must leave but you are in good hands. Akane, if I might have a moment alone."

Akane tried to hide how uncomfortable she was with the older woman's request.

"Of course Sensei."

She followed the professor to the door, leaving Ranma with Hermoine Granger. The Gryfindor tried to draw him into conversation and it was clear she was something of a talker, which in this case was a good thing because at the moment Ranma definitely wasn't. He just didn't have anything in common with the brainy girl. At least not if you excluded the things that came with his curse and he wasn't about to share that with her now, or ever if he could manage it.

Over by the door Minerva turned to face Akane.

"Akane, I hope I didn't give you the wrong impression this morning. I do not, in any way, approve of inappropriate behavior on the part of boys when interacting with young ladies and if any such behavior does take place I assure you it will be dealt with in the proper manner. You must understand that violence towards a student is never acceptable behavior. Their parents have entrusted us with their care and safety along with their education and unlike Mr. Saotome's father, we will not act in a way that endangers our charges. Now I have spoken to Professor Snape about what happened and I promise you that the boys will be disciplined."

Hearing that Snape was responsible for correcting the boy's behavior, Akane knew that in spite of this woman's promises nothing was going to be done.

"I understand Sensei." She tried to keep the sarcasm out of her voice.

Confident that the situation had been resolved, McGonagall took her leave.

It wasn't long before Cho and Gerald arrived. Cho was a nice girl, she did seem a little uncertain of how she would be accepted. Her family was from Hong Kong, which in the eyes of the Ministry was still part of the commonwealth. It wasn't long before she and Ranma were discussing their memories of the main land nation and Akane was trying not to get jealous. Gerald was easy going and friendly, traits of Hufflepuff, he was also thoroughly English and already had an English paunch forming. They worked out a schedule were they would tutor the Saotomes on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday. They would work in pairs, alternating who would be there. That way it wouldn't be too great a burden upon any one person.

After lunch Filch delivered the student's files to the Saotomes' office. The information they held really didn't offer much of use to the Martial Arts instructors beyond names and corresponding pictures, but they went through them anyway in the name of being thorough. Or at least Akane went through them, Ranma mostly complained that it was a waste of time.

"Files can't tell us anything. We won't know what kind of students they'll be until we see them in action."

Akane couldn't really argue with him, so instead she did her best to ignore him.

That evening, as promised, their class schedule was posted outside the Great Hall. They would have the younger students on Monday and Wednesday, the older on Tuesday and Thursday, leaving Friday to themselves.

Headmaster Dumbledore's seat remained conspicuously empty.

****

That night when the Saotomes returned to their suite Ranma was still apprehensive about sharing a bed with Akane, but he never once broached the topic of his sleeping anywhere other than with her in the bed. Like the nights before he waited in the sitting room while Akane prepared for bed, then in his girl form and long t-shirt he, now she, rushed to climb under the covers without once looking directly at Akane. Once in the bed Ranma stayed on her side, the stiffness of her spine letting Akane know that she still wasn't comfortable with their sleeping arrangements. Akane didn't blame her, it was still pretty awkward for her too.

Settling herself down under the warm comforter Akane quickly fell asleep. Again the sleeping girl found herself in a dream that was too surreal to be normal. Instead of fog and pillars this time she dreamed of home. She was with her sisters and father in their home in Nerima, it was years ago when her mother was still alive.

Akane's memories of her mother had grown blurry with forgetfulness and time, not to mention colored with a child's view of the world, but in this dream she saw her mother clearly with grown up eyes. Fascinated she watched her, not just the way she looked but the way she walked and moved. Listening intently to not only what she said but how she said it. Avidly she soaked in every detail of the woman who gave her birth and then died when she was barely old enough to remember.

In her mind Akane always pictured her mother being most like Kasumi, the mother figure that replaced her. Watching her now she could see a lot of her older sister in their mother, but she also saw a lot of herself and even Nabiki. While Kimiko Tendo did carry herself with the same gentle grace as Kasumi, she also showed her own fiery spirit and Nabiki's wit.

In the dream even Soun, her father, was a totally different person from the man she knew now. Absent was the emotional eruption waiting to burst through his thin control with the slightest pressure. Instead he radiated strength and compassion, carrying an aura of confidence that gave him a commanding presence. Watching him now she could see why so many of their neighbors still looked to him for leadership and protection.

As amazing as it was seeing her parents the way they once were, what was even more incredible was seeing the way they were together. Their love and happiness shone brighter than the sun and for the first time since Nodoka Saotome first appeared Akane wasn't the least bit jealous of Ranma. She still envied the fact that his mother was still alive, but seeing this now she realized that if the Saotome home had been anything like the loving home Soun and Kimiko had created there never would have been a ten year training trip. She fervently hoped she and Ranma could create such a home, one filled with warmth and trust, one where their art tied them together instead of driving them apart the way it had Genma and Nodoka.

Watching her parents and sisters go about a normal day, Akane couldn't shake the sense that someone else was there, watching her family as well. She focused on that feeling, trying to track it back to its source. Then she saw it. There around her mother's neck like a necklace, nearly a chocker, was the jade dragon that even now she knew stood as a statue on the mantle place in the room she shared with Ranma. Akane didn't know how the statue had turned into a necklace, but she knew beyond a shadow of doubt that this was the same dragon.

****

When Saturday morning came Akane decided to forgo her daily jog, not yet ready for another encounter with Crabbe and Goyle so soon after learning that nothing would be done to correct their behavior. Instead contenting herself with her morning workout with Ranma in their dojo.

After lunch she accompanied him to the village of Hogsmead.

Normally students weren't allowed to leave school grounds so early in the school year and the young couple drew several suspicious stares as they walked about town. Ranma had been in the town before, but it had been dark and raining at the time so everything was new for both of them. They spent most of the day playing the role of tourists, just like their first days in Watford.

While in town Akane purchased an old fashioned alarm clock. One that wound up instead of plugging in or using batteries. The shop keeper assured her that unlike electronics, it would work inside Hogwarts.

****

When Akane woke Sunday morning she found Ranma-Chan lying face to face with her, the fingers of Ranma's small hand intertwined with hers. Akane admired the girl's face which looked so innocent in sleep, so relaxed, fears and insecurities forgotten. That was the moment when Akane's new alarm clock decided it was time to go off, its shrill cries shattering the morning peace. For a moment she regretted buying the cold device, but looking over its old fashion face she knew that if she wanted to get in a jog before breakfast she needed to get up. Turning back to Ranma she found her wife's face scrunched up, eyes barely cracking open. Before climbing out of bed an idea came to Akane on how she could start building the family from her dreams.

Shaking the red head awake she asked "Ranma, would you like to go jogging with me?"

"huh" was Ranma's less than intelligent reply.

Getting up Akane used the hand holding Ranma's to drag the sleeping red head from the bed. "Come on Ranma, I want you to keep me company this morning."

Looking through the pane of glass in their bedroom window Ranma could see the morning was overcast. "It might rain Akane and I would rather not… you know."

"Then come jogging with me as you are, everyone has already connected me to the cute little red head that showed up the first day. I'm sure they would love to see you again." This argument seemed to be doing her cause more harm than good, so Akane decided to try a different tact.

"Especially those Slytherin boys, Crabbe and Goyle, when I went jogging on Friday they stopped me to ask about you. They wanted to get to know us better."

Akane snuck a sly look at Ranma-Chan in the vanity mirror, then she drove in the final nail.

"They were quite insistent, rude even when I told them we weren't interested. I wonder if they'll be waiting for me today?"

She saw a look of horror then rage race across Ranma-Chan's face, then in a whirlwind of activity Ranma was male and dressed in his Chinese clothes.

"Let's go jogging Akane."

Suiting words to action he grabbed Akane by the hand and dragged her towards the door. "Wait, Ranma! I'm not even dressed yet!"

In short order a scowling Ranma followed a grinning Akane out the door for a morning jog, starting a new Saotome family tradition.

****

Monday came and with it Ranma and Akane's first real day at Hogwarts. They enjoyed ( or endured ) roughly four hours of classes themselves, that was four classes. Each professor devoted about fifteen minutes before the next class started instructing them personally. Some more grudgingly than others. After that the Saotome's would spend the regular class period seated to the rear where they had a choice between listening to the regular lecture, or devoting themselves to personal study.

Some of the classes they sat in on, ones dealing with less familiar topics, were made up of younger students. Ranma found these lectures easy to follow as they didn't cover anything he hadn't already been introduced to over the summer. The topics with which they were more familiar they were placed with older students, those preparing to take their OWLs in the spring. Akane really enjoyed those classes but Ranma was mostly frustrated. He didn't learn well in a classroom environment and Mei Lin had warned them that in order to graduate they would have to pass their own OWLs. Ranma hoped the tests standards were low. If Ranma was in hell, Akane was in heaven. To her everything they learned was both new and exciting. It didn't hurt that unlike Ranma she was a good student.

After the regular classes ended it was at last time for their first. Being Monday their first session was with the younger students, the eleven through thirteen year olds. These students had yet to learn any combat spells, so they began by having them brainstorm ways they could use the spells they did know in self defense. The kids took to it surprisingly well, especially the discovery that a simple spell to open doors could also work on an opponent's pants. That was one lesson the other teachers would prove less than happy about. After assigning their students the task of bringing back more ideas for the next session, they moved on to more physical studies. Deciding that katas could wait till another day, they walked the kids through several exercises as a warm up. Then they introduced them to an exercise that was ideal for teaching them the number one, most effective defense against hostile spells, dodge ball. For the next twenty minutes the kids practiced the art of 'getting out of the way'.

It was loads of fun and Ranma was surprised by how much he was enjoying teaching. The only downer was the presence of Professor McGonagall sitting on the sidelines. Apparently the regular professors had decided together that a member of the school's _real_ staff would sit in on every session, for the good of the students of course.

There was one other bad moment when one of the students asked about the red head that attended dinner with Akane. She didn't know what to say but did know it would be best if Ranma didn't say anything, so she told them that the red head was a close friend named Ranko and that she would probably make an appearance on occasion.

****

After excusing their class and before the evening meal, the Saotomes had an appointment to keep. Returning to their suite they cleaned up and gathered their books from the day's classes before heading down to the library. Entering that sanctuary of knowledge they found a lot of books and a handful of students, all overachievers already studying for their OWLs or their NEWT exams. They were not Ranma's kind of people, so he wondered how it was that he now had to spend so much time among them?

Akane didn't have to search the room long before finding the people they came to see seated at a table in the corner of the room, their tutors Hermoine and Cho .

Seeing them Hermoine waved them over, while Cho rose to her feet and welcomed them with a bow and a traditional Japanese greeting. Surprised, the Saotomes responded in kind.

"Cho, you speak Japanese?" Akane asked with delighted surprise.

"A little." The Chinese girl answered. "My family is from Hong Kong and I have meet many people from the isles of Nihon. I am not truly fluent but I do understand a little."

"Great." The sarcasm was thick on Ranma's tongue. "We meet one person at Hogwarts who speaks our language and she is Chinese. Looks like Mei Lin was right."

Akane gave him a sharp poke in the side with her elbow. Seeing that Cho was hurt by his unintentional gaff, Akane tried to assuage the girl.

"He doesn't mean it the way it sounds. When Mei Lin, the auror who brought us to England told us we would have to learn English, Ranma asked her why the students at Hogwarts didn't learn Chinese. He was arguing that there are more people in China than in England. He was just whining about having to learn a language that he doesn't consider useful." Akane giggled as if at an inside joke. "Of course Ranma's life would have been a whole lot easier if he could read Chinese."

"Ha ha Tomboy." He turned to the Chinese girl. "I didn't mean nothing by it, it just figures that the only person here who would learn our language isn't English. Not that I meant to insult you either Hermoine, I just...I...I'm gonna shut up now."

"Good idea baka. Too bad you didn't think of that two minutes ago."

"No offense taken Ranma." Hermoine told them. "I think it would be a good idea to learn your languages. In fact my father speaks a little Japanese. He's a dentist by the way, so is my mother."

Cho was enjoying the banter, misunderstandings and all. Ever since she fell victim to Mrs. Umbrage and her truth serum, Cho felt like she was on the outside looking in. Even those students who didn't seem to blame her for what happened looked upon her with pity. It was nice talking to people who didn't judge her by what happened, people who had more in common with her than anyone else. "Why don't we just say hello and then start studying. That is why we are here after all."

Ranma wasn't anxious to start studying, but he was more than happy to put his bout of foot in mouth disease behind him without getting screamed at or someone hitting him.

Settling down to start, it didn't take long to decide it would be best to split up so Ranma and Akane could each study at their own level. Akane liked Hermoine well enough, but they didn't hit it off nearly as well as Ranma and Cho did. Akane stifled her jealousy, reminding herself that Cho may be Chinese but she wasn't an Amazon.

That evening at dinner they saw that Headmaster Dumbledore had returned.

****

During the days that followed the Saotomes fell into a routine. Every morning started with an awkward moment as more often then not they awoke cuddled in the middle of the bed. Then they would go for their morning jog, if it was raining then Akane would be seen jogging with 'Ranko'. In spite of not being disciplined Crabbe and Goyle didn't seem eager to try making their acquaintance after Akane's little demonstration. Instead they watched them intently, especially when Ranma was a girl, like vultures waiting for a feast to drop at their feet.

After breakfast in the Great Hall they would attend classes, followed every Monday through Thursday by their own class and Monday through Wednesday a tutoring session with some combination of Hermoine, Cho and Gerald. After dinner they would often spend their evenings visiting Hagrid or discussing the Eastern Arts with Flickwick. All in all they were really enjoying their time at Hogwarts. With the exception of Tuesday and Thursday afternoons, after regular classes ended and they had their sessions with the older students.

The younger students were eager to learn and if they didn't take their lessons as serious as Ranma felt they should, at least they were enthusiastic and willing to listen. The older students were less eager, many of those who had passed their OWLs opting out instead of spending their precious time on some foreign art. The Saotomes found it frustrating as these were the students who could benefit the most right now from what they had to teach. Still things had fallen into a mostly pleasant routine, that is until Tuesday of the third week, the first time Professor Snape sat in on their class.

The first thing the Saotomes noticed as they entered the dojo was that their class of older students was a good bit larger than previously. More than a dozen NEWT level students had decided to attend and they were all wearing silver and green, the colors of house Slytherin, Snape's house. The other students were apprehensive, keeping their distance from the Slytherin horde who didn't hesitate to rain their derision down upon their fellows and the Saotomes themselves. Several times Akane looked to Snape to reign in his charges, but his only response was a self satisfied smile.

Akane was growing increasingly angry and about to do something she would regret, when Ranma decided to take back control of their class in the way his father had taught him, by going after the apparent leader.

"Hey you! No, not the fat one. The pale sickly looking one who never sees the sun. You talk big but can you, how do you say it in the west? Oh yeah. Can you 'put your money where your mouth is?'" Talking like that made Ranma feel like Nabiki and that is why he knew this was going to work.

"Are you talking to me you little runt?" Draco asked, derision dripping like venom from his tongue.

"Not talking," Ranma answered, pretending he didn't notice the boy's tone. "challenging. You talk big, let's see you back it up or is it not only your mouth that tends to run?"

Now Snape decided to get involved. "Mr. Saotome, you have been warned about picking fights with the students. We do not brawl like common street ruffians at Hogwarts."

Ranma was careful to keep his voice insultingly neutral as he replied. "I'm not picking a fight Mr. Snape," If Snape refused to address him as Sensei in his own class then Ranma saw no reason not to do the same. "I am issuing a challenge and not to _brawl_. _Sensei_ Flickwick has told me about your tradition of Wizard Duels. That is what I am challenging him to, or is House Slytherin afraid to try its vaunted skill against a lowly barbarian." In the large room no one noticed the slight drop in temperature, no one but Akane.

"Don't worry _Professor _Snape." Draco sneered out. "I will put this little monkey in his place and put an end to this joke of a class right now."

Ranma turned a cold smile to Snape. "What will it be Sssnape? Will this popinjay meet me on the field of honor, or will you hide him behind your skirt?"

Drawing the professor's name out like a hissing snake might have been over the top, but it did net the desired result. Snape was pissed.

"Clear the way." Snape ordered the students, his voice tight with anger. "Prepare the dueling lane." The students rushed to comply, laying practice mats end to end for a fifteen foot stretch.

Draco was brimming over with confidence as Pansy Parkinson helped him on with his padded vest. "Don't worry Ranma," his tone was light, as if the impending duel was nothing. "I won't hurt you...much."

Snape didn't know what Ranma could do, never having seen him in action but he decided it would be best to remind him of the rules anyway. "If you bring harm to a student Saotome, I will have you both thrown out of Hogwarts and back on your way to those insignificant islands before dinner. You have my word on this."

There was just a hint of frost on Ranma's smirking lips as he answered in kind. "Don't worry _professor_, you have my word he won't feel a thing."

Akane helped Ranma put his own vest on and while doing so took advantage of the opportunity to remind the baka not to screw this up.

Ranma took his place at the end of the dueling lane opposite Draco. Draco had his wand drawn, standing in a classic dueler's stance. Ranma's wand was no where to be seen. He stood with his feet close together, hands held behind his back. He looked for all the world like he was waiting for a girl, not preparing to defend against an attack.

Standing midway between the two, looking to see if both competitors were ready, Snape decided he really didn't care and signaled them to begin.

Before Draco could cry out his first attack he was struck dumb by Ranma's battle aura. While not a physical attack, the flaring of Ranma's battle aura struck directly at his opponent's psyche. Ranma had learned this little trick from Happosai, the hard way. If an attacker's aura was enough stronger than his opponent's will, the result was a temporary form of paralysis. Draco was arrogant, but he was also used to knuckling under to the will of his father and others, he froze. When Ranma's aura flared even Snape suffered a momentary pause before the experienced wizard shook it off.

No one even saw Ranma move but suddenly he was standing right in front of Draco, the smirk still etched across his face. Finally succeeding in shaking off the mental assault, Draco raised his wand to attack. Only to have his opponent disappear from view as Ranma dropped into a low leg sweep. The next thing Draco knew he was lying on his back, Ranma leaning over him with Draco's own wand in his hand pressing the point into the blonde's forehead right between his pale blue eyes.

"Bang, your dead." Ranma said in a quiet, even voice that still resounded throughout the stunned room. Then tossing Draco's wand aside like rubbish, he stood and turning his back walked away.

Snape threw the Malfoy heir a disappointed look before turning his attention to Ranma's departing back. "While your brutish skills are impressive when matched against inexperienced children," derision rang openly in his voice. "what would you do against a strong and battle hardened wizard? One prepared for your tricks, one who is ready to kill."

Ranma turned, giving Snape a cold look. Then without a word or a wand he near instantly formed a baseball sized globe of golden chi between his palms, turned and launched it towards a practice dummy standing before the far wall. The superheated ball of chi stuck the wooden dummy dead center, then with a small pop the dummy exploded sending smoking fragments bouncing off the wall behind it.

"If, I find myself facing such an opponent again" Ranma replied without even looking at Snape "he will definitely feel it."

Breaking the stunned silence, Akane ordered everyone to line up in a commanding voice. The students were so shocked that they obeyed without thought, even the Slytherins. Then grabbing a box of books from its resting place against the wall, she carried it to Crabbe who was easily one of the largest boys in the class. Shoving it into his hands, telling him to "Hold this." She then grabbed him by the collar and dragging him about the classroom, she started handing each student a book. "This is your first text book." She told them. "It was written by a Chinese master named Sun Tzu and is titled 'The Art of War'. Read this and you will learn more about the waging of battle than you will ever learn in your Defense Against the Dark Arts class. Read this and you might actually make good use of the spells Professor Snape is teaching you." As she continued her introduction Crabbe stumbled along behind her, struggling with the heavy box that she had handled with ease. This wasn't lost on any of them, not even Malfoy.

Snape left the room, his steps hurried and full of anger.

****

At dinner that evening the Great Hall was filled with talk about Draco's humiliating defeat. Most regretting that they missed what could prove to be one of the greatest highlights of the year. At the teacher's table, Snape and Ranma exchanged the occasional challenging glances while at the Slytherin table Draco was casting the Saotomes direct, hateful stares. To Snape's annoyance Professor Flickwick kept pestering him for details of the duel and given that they were seated on opposite sides of Dumbledore and McGonagall, he wasn't doing so in the quietest of voices.

McGonagall did not look happy and for once the great Dumbledore looked like he didn't know what to do. How could he keep the friction between his friend and the younger man from escalating into open hostility, or was it already too late?

****

After dinner the Saotomes returned to their suite intending to study, when Mr. Filch arrived at their door informing them that they were being summoned to a meeting in Dumbledore's office. He was holding Miss Norris at the time so Akane was the one to deal with him. Promising that they would leave immediately, she closed the door and went in search of her husband.

Ten minutes later the Saotomes were in the Headmaster's office, along with all the other teachers at Hogwarts.

The professors all stood in tense silence, all except for Snape that is. The DADA instructor was ranting, accusing Ranma of attempting to harm one of the students and of gross disregard for the safety of the others with his wildly launching off out of control fire balls in an occupied room.

McGonagall wore her habitual scowl of disapproval. The other professors wore looks that ranged from concern to amusement, for once even Slughorn looked interested.

Every time Ranma had found himself in one of these teacher's meetings before, he had been forced to employ the 'Soul of Ice' technique but not this time. This time he was finding Snape's ranting especially amusing. Tall dark and gruesome maybe accusing him of being dangerous, but for once the taller man wasn't looking down on him.

Calling upon Snape to be still, Dumbledore turned to Ranma and Akane.

"Mr. Saotome, I hope you understand just how serious Professor Snape's accusations are. In all fairness, I am asking you to explain your actions."

Ranma was nearly floored by the Headmaster's question. He couldn't believe it, someone was actually asking for his side of the story before summarily passing judgment against him. If he owned a journal he would have been sure to write this down in bold letters.

Ranma may not have been having trouble controlling his temper but Akane was. She couldn't believe this. Snape had done nothing to control his student and after Ranma was forced to do it for him, now he had the nerve to accuse them of being irresponsible! How dare he?! She was just about to tell them so, graduation be damned, when Dumbledore acted to head off the growing hostilities.

"Everyone please remain calm. Let Ranma speak for himself."

Ranma wasn't angry, he wore an amused smirk as he explained himself.

"The student Mr. Snape is referring too was intentionally disrupting our class, forcing me to do something about it. I didn't attack him or seek to harm him, merely challenged him to test my skill before belittling me in front of the class. I merely educated him, he wasn't harmed in any way, as promised. As for my throwing wild fireballs about, if Professor Snape would be willing to put an apple on his head I would be glad to demonstrate my control."

Before Snape could start ranting again, Dumbledore cut him off.

"Perhaps a demonstration would be a good idea. I'm sure that not only the staff but also the students would appreciate seeing what the arts of the east can do. For now though it is growing late and tired tongues often lead to frayed tempers. I think it would be best if everyone were to retire for the night. We will discuss this further in the morning when everyone is rested."

Author's notes:

I hope no one is too upset over my treatment of Malfoy. At the beginning of the Half Blood Prince, Draco was so full of himself that like a strutting peacock he was bound to openly challenge any new players who entered his yard. Now I know that some astute reader is thinking about a wizard's connection to their wand and how having his taken from him in a duel would weaken Draco's command of his own. I thought of this and decided that given the pitiful state of Draco's confidence by the end of the book, having his wand stop accepting him fully actually seemed to fit. In regards to the effect this event will have on young Malfoy's role in the book, as much as he would love to take revenge on Ranma he has more important fish to fry and he still hates Potter more.

It is official, I have received my first real flamer. I don't mind. If I receive flames I will attempt to take what constructive criticism from them I can and disregard the rest. You might be amazed how little it bothers me if strangers don't like my writing. I never hoped to please everyone anymore than I like everything I have read. If you really don't like my story, then don't read it. If you do read it, feel free to send me flames. If I really don't like them, I won't read them.

I would like to attempt to address a few of the points raised. If I can clear up a misunderstanding, then great. If not, at least I tried.

In regards to the unavoidable issue of OOC: I am trying to base my interpretation of the characters from what I have read in the manga, trying to keep from being too influenced by what I have read in other fanfics. Given that what I have read is a translated copy, along with the fact that even in the original the characters changed at different times, only the original author can honestly claim to always write in character and that only because they are hers to do with as she will. Like multiple witnesses to any event, not everyone will share my interpretation and that doesn't make me right or them wrong. I just hope some people enjoy my version, even if they don't agree with it.

The teaching contract: Mei Lin was offered Ranma and Akane as a package deal, take it or leave it. When she accepted the contract applied to both equally.

Akane's behavior: there is something she wants and she is going for it. It benefits more than her so I think she would try to make it work. If I haven't written her up as the brightest tack in the box, all I can say is P-Chan.

Ranma's behavior: Ranma made Akane a promise and if anyone thinks my portrayal of his behavior is too extreme in regards to keeping it, again all I can say is P-Chan. Most of Ranma's behavior is not in response to his emotions, that's what the soul of ice is for, but wounds to his pride. In the manga most of his mistakes are due to pride, otherwise he would have faced his challengers on his terms not theirs. Hopefully starting with this chapter Ranma will stop seeming so meek, even a promise can only hold him down for so long ( and if your wondering, the Draco duel and the scarecrow scene to follow were both written up before I ever posted this story ). I don't know what Ranma's experiences were on his training trip, the few items mentioned in the manga mostly involve cats and curses. The only people really talked about are Ryouga, Ukyou and some mysterious old lady who saved him from the Neko-Ken. I do know that his social skills are lacking.

The last thing I can say is that this is a story about Ranma and Akane going to Hogwarts, not Akane goes to Hogwarts and Ranma stays home. If Ranma doesn't interact with the professors then the story has no point.

Some may have noticed that I have toned down Ranma's chi attack some. The beach ball sized globes are just a little too Dragon Ball for me. Not to mention I think overwhelming in the Potter world. If you are wondering why I call it 'chi' instead of 'ki', it's because my spell checker recognizes 'chi' and I'm sick of correcting it.

If anyone reading this disagrees with my interpretation or thinks they have a good idea, tell me. If I like it I will adapt my writing to reflect it. If I don't like it, it will still cause me to rethink what I'm writing and hopefully the story will improve. I tried to enable anonymous reviews when I posted the last chapter, so don't worry about me not liking you anymore. I don't even know you. Feel free to flame away.


	8. Chapter 8 Showing Off

**Chapter 8: Showing Off**

**Ranma was fuming by the time he and Akane returned to their rooms. It wasn't Snape's accusations that had him going, truth be told he found the older professor's ire amusing, it was Dumbledore's insinuation that he had to prove himself. He wasn't stupid or blind, he knew the old man hadn't meant to insult him, but how many times was he going to have to prove himself to these people before they accepted that he and his art had value equal to their own? Ever since he arrived at the castle he had subtly and not so subtly been told that his 'foreign' arts were not as good as theirs. The fact that, with the exception of Snape, there was no malice intended only made it that much more...degrading. **

**The only exceptions were Hagrid, Flickwick and surprisingly Slughorn. Hagrid never mentioned either his art or theirs, his interests mainly focused on his animals. Flickwick was too genuinely interested in their art to be insulting. His comparisons between the ways of the east and the west fueled by his sincere desire to know more. As for Horace, he didn't pay them enough attention as people to even know they had an art much less insult it. **

**Ranma didn't know what to make of Dumbledore. The old man had given them a warm enough welcome, but had hardly been around since to voice an opinion. From what Ranma had seen the old mage wasn't around the school a lot of the time. It didn't strike him as all that strange that the school's headmaster would be absent though, after all old pineapple head hadn't been around for so long none of the students even knew he existed. I mean, Kuno didn't even recognize that the fruit was his father. You don't get much more absent then that.**

**Ranma didn't mind the idea of doing a demonstration, he rather enjoyed showing people what he could do. What bothered him was that he was expected to prove himself and they expected him to fail.**

**Ranma was off focus, his center lost, the well spring of angst and insecurity that had developed over a lifetime of struggling to prove his worth threatening to burst forth. Even worse Akane was mad and he just knew that the way he was now it was only a matter of time before the Saotome foot in mouth disease reared its ugly head, destroying the close friendship they were developing since coming to England. Not knowing what else to do he decided to employ the Saotome Final Technique.**

"**Hey Akane, I'm gonna go down to the dojo and train...Do you want to come?" Ranma had his fingers crossed behind his back hoping she would say no. He didn't want to risk offending her by asking her to stay behind, but right now his being around her was too much like mixing gasoline and an open fire.**

**Akane was tempted to join him, her normal method of dealing with her anger back home was to go out to the dojo and break bricks and right now she wanted nothing more than to vent her anger with the feel of something breaking beneath her fists. She wasn't so far gone in rage to not realize that the most likely thing to fall beneath her fists right now was Ranma. Remembering the last time she vented on him after they were kicked out of Furinkan, and how afterwards he had all but avoided her for weeks, she decided it was best not to risk a repeat. They now had too much to lose.**

"**No Ranma, I think I'll lie down for awhile." She ignored his look of relief.**

**Moving quickly to leave before something went wrong, like her changing her mind or his mouth getting in the way, he still paused on the threshold.**

"**Akane" his voice was low and tentative, "I'm sorry..." He wanted to tell her he was sorry for the way things were turning out at Hogwarts, for the disappointment he knew she was feeling after the excitement of attending her mother's alma mater, but he didn't dare because he just knew that if he tried he would somehow manage to say the wrong thing. So instead he played it safe, disappearing out the door. **

**Akane was upset and disappointed. When she learned that her mother attended Hogwarts she had been carried away by dreams of following in her footsteps and those dreams hadn't included Snape or western bias. She really wanted to learn this wand magic, her mother's art. To her surprise she realized that she wanted it just as much as she wanted to learn Anything Goes, her father's art. She also wanted the possibilities she saw in being with Ranma. The fear that she might not be able to have all three was tearing her up inside. **

**At home when she felt lost and alone she would often find comfort in holding P-Chan. The love of a pet, free of expectations and demands would sooth her spirit, quieting her fears. Unfortunately P-Chan was six thousand miles away in Nerima. Feeling an almost desperate need, yet not understanding why she did it, she took down her mother's dragon from the mantel and held it against her bosom the way she would her beloved pet. Once she did she was swept away by the memory of her mother holding her as a child. It was so vivid she could actually feel the warmth of the arms wrapped around her. Closing her eyes she was carried away, her nose tickled by the smell of her mother's favorite perfume, the same perfume Kasumi often wore. It felt so real she lost not only her anger but all sense of time in the warmth of a mother's unconditional love for her child.**

**She might have stayed that way all night if the spell hadn't been broken by someone knocking at her door. Brought back to the here and now, yet her heart somehow lighter for the experience, Akane carried the dragon with her as she opened their front door to find an apologetic Dumbledore waiting in the hall.**

"**Mrs. Saotome, would it be alright if I came in for a moment. I believe we need to talk and really feel it would be best if time wasn't allowed to let any wounds caused by harsh words to fester."**

**Akane only hesitated for a moment before inviting him in. She was feeling much calmer than before and now only wanted to try and salvage her dreams.**

"**Of course Professor. Would you like some tea?"**

"**Yes, some tea would be very welcome thank you."**

**Inviting him to take a seat on the couch, Akane reluctantly placed the dragon statue on the table in front of it before excusing herself to the rest room to fill Ranma's tea kettle with water.**

**While she was doing that Dumbledore studied the jade dragon resting before him.**

"**This is an exquisite dragon, may I ask where it came from?"**

**Akane was just beginning to pour the heated water when his question caught her off guard.**

"**It belonged to my mother, Kimiko. It was given to her by..." She hesitated, remembering Mei Lin's admonition not to tell anyone of her families connection to Amelia Pendleton. "It was a gift from a family friend."**

**Dumbledore didn't miss her hesitation. He was well versed in the great treasures of the wizarding world and had his suspicions about the dragon's origins, but chose not to push her on it. Right now he had more pressing business with the young couple. Speaking of which...**

"**Isn't your husband going to join us? I really should speak to him as well."**

**Akane didn't want to tell him that Ranma was throwing a fit, so she chose to tell him a small lie instead. **

"**He went to our class room to train. He wants to be ready for whatever form of demonstration you may require of him."**

**Her statement wasn't entirely false, she knew Ranma would be training, just not for the reasons she gave Dumbledore. Momentarily forgetting that she had an audience, Akane's mouth bent down into a small frown as she was stuck by the realization that Ranma had no childhood memories of a mother's love. Growing up his only comfort was found in the familiarity of training. With Genma's obsessive drive for his son to be the best, the art had become a surrogate for a mother's love or a father's affection. With that realization came a greater understanding of her husband, especially his many insecurities.**

**Seeing the disquiet look on her face when she spoke of her husband reminded the old wizard that there was something he wished to speak about with Akane alone. First things first...**

"**Akane, I can't speak for everyone but I assure you that no insult is intended by the request for this demonstration. Understand, our students all have parents, parents who need to know their children are safe in our care. If they fear otherwise then our ability to educate our young charges is severely hampered."**

**He accepted a cup of tea from her with a small nod and a sip before continuing.**

"**Thank you, this tea is very good. I'm not familiar with the blend."**

**Akane blushed, realizing that she couldn't tell him because she didn't know herself.**

"**Aunty Nodoka, Ranma's mother gave it to me. I'm afraid I don't recall the name, but I will ask the next time I see her."**

"**I would appreciate it."**

**After another small sip, he set his cup down on the low table.**

"**I hope you can appreciate that the only thing that maters to us here at Hogwarts is the welfare and the educating of the children placed in our stewardship. If at times that requires us as teachers to bend to the needs and desires of the society as a whole, then in spite of any inconvenience to ourselves that is what we do. You must understand that to most of the people here in England your arts in the east are a great unknown, and people tend to fear what they don't know. This demonstration is an opportunity to give them a glimpse of what you have to teach the children and hopefully with increased familiarity will come a greater acceptance. It may be that doing this will also help you in your own efforts. If Mr. Malfoy had already witnessed your husband's prowess, doubtless he wouldn't have challenged him by disrupting your class. I ask you to see this not as our questioning your abilities, but as an opportunity to share a greater appreciation for your art. Will you do that for me Akane?"**

**Akane admitted to herself that if he had asked her for this earlier when she was still angry she probably wouldn't have listened to his explanation, but now she couldn't argue with his logic or the sentiment he expressed. She knew that once she had children of her own she would be just as protective. She shuddered at the thought of how protective Ranma would be, images of him threatening their children's teachers coming to mind.**

"**Yes Professor, and I'll try to help Ranma see it that way as well. Thank you for taking the time to explain it, I admit I wasn't happy with what was said tonight in your office."**

**He gave her his best paternal smile.**

"**Thank you for being understanding and don't worry my dear, I intend to speak to your husband myself as soon as I leave here."**

**Akane's relief showed on her face.**

"**Before I go," he said, "there is something else I wished to discuss with you. I hope you don't find me too forward in broaching the subject but I couldn't help noticing how uncomfortable your husband is with his curse. He has actually shown fear over it and I don't understand why. I would think by now he would be used to it, even if he is still embarrassed by the changes."**

**She chewed her lower lip, considering how to explain such a complex issue as Ranma's feelings about his curse.**

"**Ranma is...there are times when Ranma is honestly more comfortable being a girl than he is being a boy. To truly understand you have to appreciate that Ranma's father has an unusual view of women."**

**She would have told him the truth about Genma's view of women and their place in the world, but Akane didn't feel it was proper to speak ill of her father in law to strangers.**

"**As a consequence, Ranma has some wrong ideas about boys and girls. For example; as a boy Ranma won't eat ice cream, but as a girl he can't get enough of it. For rather complicated reasons Genma was obsessed with Ranma being 'manly' and as a consequence he tried to drive out of him anything that seemed too 'feminine'. Little things like emotions and social skills. Most of the difficulty Ranma has dealing with other people is because of what his father tried to make him. Growing up his father would attack any failure or perceived inadequacy by calling him a girl, he made it an insult. Ranma once told me that when he was first cursed, before he knew he could change back...he told me that it was like his life was over, he had become everything his father taught him to despise. Since then he has gotten much better, his belief that girls are weak having been mostly beaten out of him."**

**Dumbledore got the impression that she wasn't just speaking figuratively.**

"**When at home he really doesn't have a problem with being a girl, would sometimes go for long periods of time as one. Most of the problem he has with it involves how other people treat him. Some people don't take it too well and most have no experience with magic. Once people accept it and him, Ranma has no problem with it, until then he does his best to avoid the issue."**

**Dumbledore gave it a moments thought.**

"**If all he needs is for others to accept him then maybe it would be best to tell everyone himself, explain it to them." He gave a small chuckle. "You can feel safe in knowing that the students here are very familiar with magic, some even with shape changing."**

**Akane wore a wry grin. "Good luck convincing Ranma of that, we've tried. My sister Kasumi thinks he wants people to get to know him before they find out. I think he's just afraid of meeting another Kuno."**

"**Kuno?" **

**Now she grimaced. "A boy at our old school. He refused to accept that Ranma was still the same person when he changed and pursued her ardently. It might not have been so bad but he is rather delusional and tends to get...physical in his pursuit."**

********

**The aged wizard found Ranma in the new Tendo dojo going through kata. Dumbledore had never had occasion to witness the eastern arts, so instead of interrupting he choose to stand back and watch. He couldn't help but marvel at the speed, power and grace the boy was demonstrating. What he was witnessing was very different from what he himself practiced, but the magic involved was easily felt. He watched as it flowed around and through Ranma's moving form, an intricate weave of power and control. Here in the west they viewed magic as totally separate from the physical and so placed little importance on things like exercise and the bodies development outside of such popular sports as quiditch. He recognized the high level of discipline required, far more than they normally required of their students and though he still doubted adding these classes would provide any measurable benefit during the current crisis he could see possible long term benefits from continuing the program into the future. Dumbledore had no desire to turn his students into fighters but the control and discipline he was witnessing would certainly enrich the lives of future generations.**

**In spite of being focused on his kata Ranma was well aware of Dumbledore's presence but chose to continue as long as the professor was content to quietly watch. Ranma had been frustrated and angry when he started and his kata reflected that. As Ranma moved through the forms chi powered his limbs fueling his motions, accelerating them to near amiguriken speeds. The air popped from the rapid passage of his flashing arms, his feet striking the ground with forceful blows.**

**The display of raw power was very impressive, and Dumbledore had to admit a little intimidating. He could see how the more timid might fear it was a mistake exposing the students to such ferocity.**

**As Ranma moved through the familiar forms their order seeped into his tumultuous spirit. The discipline and movement of the advanced kata did for him what no amount of quiet meditation could, it calmed his emotions and returned his focus. When the kata finally ended it was more than his body that held in perfect stillness. Drawing slow even breaths he turned to Dumbledore, the tension now visibly absent from his muscles.**

**With a short bow he asked "What can I do for you Sensei?"**

**Dumbledore slowly approached Ranma, the gestures of his left hand mimicking the flow of the kata he had just witnessed and watching the professor approach Ranma noticed the stiff way he held his right arm within his robes, the subtle signs of discomfort. Suddenly Ranma was struck by the realization that he had never seen Dumbledore's right hand. He was distracted from his thoughts by Dumbledore's words. **

"**That was most impressive, and intimidating. I can understand some of Professor Snape's concern for the students." **

"**I'm not Ryouga." Ranma replied, his brow furrowed at the insult. "I , not my temper, control my attacks and I only strike what I mean to. If Snape Sensei…" the curl of Ranma's lips took any respect from the term sensei, "… requires a test of my control, then I challenge him. I will put an apple on my head and he can try to knock it off. In the end, my apple will still rest untouched on my head, while Snape will have been stripped naked but I promise there will not be one scratch on his pale skin." **

**Dumbledore again held up his one hand, this time in a placating gesture. **

"**While that would be a telling display of your control, I fear embarrassing professor Snape, or even just giving the students the impression of hostile divisions among the Hogwarts' staff, would inhibit our ability to educate our charges as we have sworn to do."**

**Dumbledore may not be an expert on the Eastern Traditions, but he knew enough to realize that appealing to Ranma's sense of honor and duty would prove far more productive than any arguments of logic he might offer. **

**Ranma visibly suppressed his irritation and hostility towards Snape. "All right sensei, what do you think would be a good demonstration?" **

**Dumbledore stroked his beard in thought. "We could set up a 'Firing Range', I believe the muggles call it. An array of targets, some of which are to be struck, surrounded by targets that are to be left unharmed. I believe that would be adequate for our needs." Ranma smirked. "And here I thought you wanted me to do something hard. If that would be impressive enough for you, fine I'll play the amateur and destroy targets without messing up the grass." **

"**Excellent" Dumbledore replied with a pleased smile. "I do believe that would put concerned minds to ease. We'll do it tomorrow, after the last class of the day and before your own. That way these groundless concerns won't inhibit your ability to teach any further. Yes, I do believe that will work. I will have Hagrid and Filch set up the targets in the quiditch arena" **

**That business finished Dumbledore gave Ranma a speculative look, there being something else he felt they needed to discuss. **

"**I do not have your first hand knowledge but I do know that there are physical differences between men's and women's bodies. Doesn't your curse affect your ability to practice your art?" **

**Ranma responded with a confident smirk. **

"**Sure there are differences, my center of balance is lower and my reach is shorter, but I adapted and what I lose in strength I make up for in speed. I am no weaker just because I turn into a girl." **

**Dumbledore founds the ease and confidence of his statement to be strangely at odds with the apprehension Ranma displayed in the Great Hall. It reminded him of Akane's explanation that Ranma was only uncomfortable about being a girl among strangers. Deciding to perform a small test he asked Ranma "Would you mind showing me. Perhaps you could perform those kata," Dumbledore's tongue made hard consonants of the unfamiliar word, "while in your female form. I would be interested in seeing how you adapt to your other body." **

**Ranma shrugged in acquiescence. "Sure, if you want I can do that." **

**Dumbledore gave his own mirthful smile. "Yes Ranma, I would very much like to see that. Lint." **

**Suddenly the small house elf appeared beside Dumbledore. **

"**Yes master Dumbledore, what can Lint do for you?" **

"**Ah Lint, would you please fetch me a cup of cool water from the kitchens?" **

"**Lint would be honored to, master Dumbledore." And again the elf simply vanished. Ranma was staring hard at the space the elf had just occupied. He wasn't sure of what he saw, but it wasn't like using a port key. He figured this must be apirating and he was sure that if he could observe it a few more times he would be able to replicate the technique. A short moment later, Lint reappeared in the same spot holding a cup of water. **

**This time Ranma had been watching and he had been able to sense the chi or magic pattern that formed when the elf returned. **

**With a pleased smile, Lint held up the cup offering it to Dumbledore. **

"**Thank you Lint." Dumbledore said as he took the cup. **

**Turning to Ranma he asked "If I may." while holding up the cup in a meaningful manner. "Sure, go ahead." Ranma closed his eyes in preparation for the shower to come. **

**With a flick of his wrist Dumbledore threw the contents of the cup in Ranma's face. Dumbledore watched intently as Ranma changed, studying the magic that caused the transfiguration, but it happened too quickly and the pattern was too complex for even him to figure out. **

**Watching Ranma's face during the change, he saw none of the apprehension that was there in the Great Hall. She seemed completely at ease in her second body. Seeming to easily adapt to the changes, even her stance subtly altered to reflect her now feminine nature. The changes of Jusenkyo clearly ran very deep and he wondered if even Ranma realized how complete it was. Smiling at the lovely young lady that now stood before him, he stepped back clearing the floor. **

**Ranma assumed a starting pose standing on one foot, fist and palm meeting in front of her chest. After a few deep breaths she began to move, flowing from one form to the next, her grace and poise belied the violent nature of what she was practicing. Her movements were clean and efficient, exerting just enough effort to perform the strikes and blocks. Watching Dumbledore found himself drawn in by the beauty of her 'dance', each move flowed easily into the next. It was clear why the Eastern masters called it a martial 'art'. Where Ranma's earlier performance had been a display of brutal power, what she was doing now was deceptively calm and soft. His arms had caused the air to pop from the disruption of their passage, his feet had hammered out a staccato beat upon the floor. Her limbs moved through the air without even a ripple of disturbance, her bare feet hardly seeming to touch the floor. **

**Her movements were deceptive though, Dumbledore could sense the magic flowing through her strikes and he knew that her beautiful dance would shatter bone and tear flesh if she were to connect. The grace of her movements did little to disguise the speed with which she struck and he could see that Ranma spoke truthfully, she was faster in this form. Watching the ease with which she performed the kata, Dumbledore realized that her confidence was well founded. The demonstration he had proposed would be like child's play for Ranma. He smiled, now confident that this was one conflict that would easily resolve itself. **

********

**Wednesday morning went slightly different for the Saotomes. When Akane awoke she once again found Ranma-Chan cuddled in her tight embrace, but this time Ranma-Chan was tensed up. Looking into her face Akane discovered that for once Ranma had awoken first, and she wore a look of fear and apprehension on her face. **

**For a brief moment Akane felt a flash of anger that Ranma wasn't happy to be in her arms, then she felt Ranma-Chan flinch from her anger and realized that she wasn't unhappy to be there, she was afraid of what Akane would do to her for being there. Akane was reminded of all the times she had accused Ranma of being a pervert. **

'**No wonder he avoids intimate contact with me.' **

**She thought about her dream and how close her parents were, and about her conviction to make her home as loving as theirs. She didn't really know much about her parents marriage or how they met. She was too young when her mother died and her father broke down into tears anytime she was mentioned, so Akane didn't grow up hearing stories about her. She did know that her father loved her mother very much and that like in the dream their home was a close and happy one. **

**She wanted her and Ranma to have such a relationship, but the fear in Ranma's eyes did not look very promising. Akane had been so afraid because of what had happened at school, thanks to Kuno, she had lashed out and she realized conditioned Ranma to be just as afraid of intimacy as she was. Oh, she was sure his father had something to do with that as well, she couldn't understand what that man was thinking, but she had driven the last nail into the proverbial coffin. **

**Now how was she going to undo more than two years of conditioning, how was she going to release all of her own fears? **

**The reflexive response to scream at Ranma and drive her away was even now trying to force its way out, but Akane shoved it back down. She knew what she wanted and though she wasn't sure of how to obtain it, she knew that response wasn't the way. Floundering on what to do she fell back on the only loving role model she had known, her sister Kasumi. **

**Calming her fears, she gave Ranma that smile that though Akane didn't realize it melted Ranma's insides, then she carefully leaned in closer and kissed the girl gently on the forehead. **

"**Morning Ranma" she whispered, then closed her eyes and cuddled in even closer as if she were going back to sleep. **

**When Ranma first arrived at the Tendo Dojo she was terrified, insecure and ashamed. Here she was soaking wet and currently female and her father, the panda, was taking her to meet her new fiancée. Soun, Nabiki, and even gentle Kasumi had shown her the rejection she had feared and expected. Nabiki had even gone so far as to grope her like she wasn't really a person. She had never felt lower than she had at that moment and if her mother had been there then and handed her a tanto blade, she would have driven it through the flesh of her stomach without hesitation. All she had wanted to do was disappear, as if foreshadowing the future she had wished that a mountain would fall down and bury her from sight. **

**Then Akane had reached out to her with a few gentle words and that smile. **

**That smile that seemed so inviting, friendly and accepting had pulled Ranma in as if an embrace. For just a moment her fear and shame had been swallowed up in the warmth Akane had shown her. It would take her nearly two years to realize it, but basking in the warmth of that smile, Ranma had fallen hopelessly in love. **

**No matter what happened or what Akane said or did after that, nothing had the same impact as that smile had in that moment. Afterwards, whenever Akane would flash her that smile, Ranma would be caught up in the same emotions that flooded her at that moment and she wouldn't even be able to remember the bad things. **

**Akane always marveled that Ranma could be so jealous of P-Chan, how could any man feel threatened by a pet pig? It wasn't Ranma knowing that P-Chan was really Ryouga, another guy, that made Ranma so insanely jealous though. It was seeing Akane share that same smile with him, sometimes even when Ryouga was human. That smile was the most treasured thing Ranma had and it tore him up to see it shared with anyone else, especially such a deceitful pig as Ryouga. **

**Fear of Akane rejecting him had kept Ranma from dealing with the pig, even stayed his hand when Ryouga would attack him without reason. Ranma understood why Ryouga fell for Akane. He didn't understand how anyone could bask in the warmth of her smile and not fall in love with her, but Ranma hated him for stealing it. Ranma had nightmares about killing Ryouga in a jealous rage when Akane smiled at the pig. **

**He believed that Akane really cared for him, hoped even loved him, but her many proclamations otherwise filled him with lingering doubt. Afraid of rejection, he in turn pushed her away. Worse, as a girl she believed that Akane was disgusted by her female body. When Shampoo would refer to Akane as 'pervert girl', accusing her of 'wanting girl type Ranma', Ranma had never even entertained the ghost of a thought that it might be true. She was so convinced that Akane was disgusted by her cursed and perverted body that she was incapable of believing that Akane would ever accept her like this. **

**This morning when she woke up and found herself cuddled up to Akane, her arms wrapped around the girl, and Akane's arms wrapped so deliciously around her in return, she felt a crippling fear of what Akane would think if she woke up and found them like this. She knew Akane would drive her out and that from now on Ranma would be lucky if she let her sleep on that little couch in the next room. **

**So terrified was she of seeing disgust and rejection in Akane's eyes, that she couldn't even move to escape, just shiver in fear. When Akane woke up, she crumbled inside. Again she felt like she had that first day knowing that she was about to be cast off, but instead of a disgusted and violent rejection, Akane smiled at her. Then she deliberately kissed her on the head and drew her even tighter into her embrace. **

**Ranma fell in love all over again. **

**Tears filled her eyes as she burrowed deeper into Akane's arms. She forgot her fears, forgot that she was currently a girl, all she knew, all she could feel was a wonderful sense of unconditional acceptance. She had only ever felt this in her mother's arms, and at that moment she held no doubts that Akane loved her. Her heart was so full, she didn't even realize that she was expressing herself out loud, though it was just a whisper. In spite of that, Akane still heard her, and for the first time, the two consciously held each other without fear. **

**They held each other for what seemed like an eternity that lasted only an instant before Akane's new alarm clock interrupted. **

**Strangely there was none of the self conscious uncomfortable silence that had marked their other mornings waking up together. Instead they had quietly gotten up and prepared to go on their morning jog. Without a word, just a smile, they went outside to run.**

********

**With the exception of breakfast, the school day went according to their new routine. At breakfast, during morning announcements, Professor Dumbledore announced that after final classes for the day, in the quiditch field, Ranma Saotome would be providing a demonstration of the art he and his wife were teaching in their class. While attendance wasn't mandatory, he recommended that everyone attend. **

**Later that afternoon after classes nearly the entire school turned out at the quiditch field, filling the stands like it was game day. Most of those in attendance certainly didn't expect anything as impressive or exciting as a game of quiditch, but the demonstration was expected to be a distraction and after all Dumbledore himself recommended that they attend so what would it hurt. **

**Besides they had all heard about Ranma taking down Draco and wanted to see for themselves how good these exotic easterners were. **

**There were even several reporters in the teacher's box, including two from the Daily Prophet, but not Rita Skeeter, for some reason she had begged off on going to Hogwarts. Surprising since it used to be one of her favorite hunting grounds. The reporters were there because the office of the Ministry had made a point of inviting them. Scrimgeour felt that if his eastern distractions were going to capture attention, they would have to be publicized beyond the borders of the school. **

**No one was really taking this demonstration seriously, well almost no one. The Saotomes were taking it serious, this was their chance to show what their art could do. A little surprising, given the disdain he obviously felt for these barbarians, Professor Snape was the other person taking the event seriously. He was still smarting from Draco's humiliating defeat and though he personally did not hold Draco to be the shinning example of western spell craft, the ease with which he went down was an insult to House Slytherin and Snape felt to his art itself. **

**Hagrid and Filch had really outdone themselves, the grounds of the arena looked like a crowded plaza in London, only the crowd was made up of scare crows. They had enlisted the aid of several students who had amused themselves by using magic to shape faces on several of the pumpkins. Most were merely caricatures of famous wizards or silly archetypes, the entire Hogwarts' staff was represented. Strangely the Snape scarecrow was wearing a large feathered hat and long fur coat. The students that had been present when past professor Remus Lupin taught Neville how to defend against the boogey man found it especially amusing, Snape did not. Each of the scarecrows was wearing a colored sash, red to represent a target, green to represent an innocent that was to be left unharmed. **

**The Snape scare crow was of course wearing a red sash. **

**Filch had nothing personal against the Saotomes but being a cantankerous old coot had felt it necessary to place some of the scarecrows especially close, increasing the difficulty in taking out a red sash while leaving the green ones alone. **

**Ranma and Akane were standing with the rest of the staff along the side of the field. Professor Dumbledore explaining that there were twelve red sash targets positioned amidst the greens and that they would time Ranma to see how quickly he could take them all down, using what ever method he chose. **

**Looking over the field Ranma couldn't resist smirking, even Akane looked supremely confident, too confident for Snape. **

"**Perhaps" Snape threw in, "…this would be too easy of a task for Mr. Saotome, one unworthy of his skill. Might I suggest that we make it a little more impressive," Trying to look thoughtful, "perhaps if we were to animate some of the mannequins with a simple animus spell. We do want the students to feel that this is a real test of his abilities, not to mention the press. After all, it wouldn't look right if Hogwarts was accepting even assistant" said with clear disdain "…professors that were unable to out perform a fourth, or even second year student." **

**The smug look on Snape's face was really pushing Ranma's buttons. Even Akane had to admit that tall, dark and annoying needed to be put in his place. **

**Looking askance at Snape, Ranma said to Dumbledore "I do believe that Snape" Ranma intentionally forgot to add any honorifics, "…has a good idea. We don't want this to be any easier than you can make it. Make all of the scarecrows move, even dance with each other. It would be even more impressive if live targets" this added while blatantly looking at Snape, "…were to join the crowd. Someone who could not only hide behind others, but attempt to strike back. I promise, you won't feel a thing." **

**This near threat was clearly aimed at Snape. **

**Casually stepping so that he was breaking Ranma and Snape's line of sight, Dumbledore stroked his beard with his left hand as if giving their suggestions serious consideration. Internally he was more than a little annoyed by their juvenile posturing, he required better from his teachers, Hogwarts deserved better. **

"**While I don't believe we want to place live people among the targets, we don't want the students to think that it is proper to treat life so casually, animating the field would prove a more appropriate measure of Mr. Saotome's skills." **

**Gesturing towards the field of scarecrows with his hand, he asked Snape, McGonagall and Flickwick if they would see to animating the mannequins. **

**Madam Hooch stepped up to Dumbledore with a suggestion of her own. **

"**If you would like to add the element of resistance to the demonstration, we could release a bludger. It could be enchanted to seek to strike Mr. Saotome as he will be the only one on the field." **

**Ranma looked first at her, then at Dumbledore. "What's a bludger?" he asked. Akane looked equally interested. **

**Madam Hooch went on to explain how a bludger worked and its role in quiditch. **

**Akane looked at Ranma, "It would make this a little more challenging. Let's face it, destroying a bunch of dolls isn't really a test." Akane wasn't quite as arrogant as Ranma, but she wasn't lacking in confidence either. **

"**If Mr. Saotome is okay with it I think the suggestion has merit." Agreed Dumbledore. "Madam Hooch, if you would please fetch a bludger." **

**Nodding in acquiescence Madam Hooch left to retrieve the desired equipment.**

**While Dumbledore and the Saotomes waited for Madam Hooch to return, the other professors cast their spells, and Lee Jordan explained to the waiting spectators the rules of the demonstration. **

**Looking aside to Dumbledore, Ranma said in a low voice "This isn't really much of a demonstration you know. Without an opponent who fights back, taking out dolls, even moving dolls, isn't a real challenge." **

**Dumbledore smiled back reassuringly. "Don't worry Ranma, the speed with which you eliminate the targets and the control you demonstrate by not damaging the non targets will be more than sufficient for our purposes." **

**The professor's reassuring words were undercut by the sound of not so distant thunder and glancing up quickly confirmed that rain clouds were rolling in from the west. **

"**Yeah, real fast." Ranma muttered, his worried eyes leaving the threatening clouds to roam over the stands of boisterous students, his face paling when his eyes fell upon the cameras. He just knew that whatever kami chose him as the butt of their cruel jokes was going to ensure that his curse was exposed to the entire school, then it wouldn't matter if they were impressed by his performance. Experience had proven that all they would remember was that he was a freak. At least he wasn't wearing that skimpy cheerleaders outfit, he would be spared that humiliation this time. **

**He felt the warmth of a hand in his own, small fingers intertwining with his. Looking down to see the hand giving his own a comforting squeeze, he followed the connected arm up to Akane's face were her smile was telling him that everything was going to be okay, she was with him. Ranma felt the icy grip around his heart loosen as he remembered waking up in Akane's embrace and the kiss she gave instead of a blow. 'Akane accepts me, in spite of my curse.' The rejection he would receive when his little problem became common knowledge would hurt, but Akane's smile reminded him that her acceptance was more than enough on its own. **

**The crowd fell silent as Ranma walked boldly onto the field. Surrounded by circling, dancing scare crows he waited for the signal to begin, his mind quickly learning their patterns, plotting his own. **

**Jordan blew a whistle signaling to begin. Madam Hooch released the bludger her lips muttering the curse that would make it attack. Akane felt a nervous lurch in the depths of her stomach, her eyes watching the thickening clouds. Almost too quick for the eye to follow Ranma was suddenly sixteen feet in the air. **

**He seemed to hang there in defiance of gravity, his cupped hands forming a Moko Takabashi, sending it to intercept three red sashes whose pattern brought them close together without any green sashes. The softball sized ball of chi exploded, shattering the scare crows. **

**His prodigious leap carried him over a circle of green sashes, dancing in a circle like children. **

**Twisting in the air to narrowly avoid the bludger, gravity reasserted itself pulling him back towards the earth. Falling, his hands seemed to be trying to grasp the air, moving at Amiguriken speeds as he sent vacuum blades to cleanly dissect two more red sashes. Dancing between the whirling dolls with inhuman speed and grace, he took down another doll with simple punches and back flipping he used a kick familiar to the muggle born soccer fans in the stands to send the striking bludger into the chest of another target. A low leg sweep dropped yet another. **

**While the third doll was dropping to the grass, Ranma rose from his crouch straight into another flying leap, his hands again lashing out at Amiguriken speeds. **

**Three scare crows under the control of Professor Snape had actually seized green sash mannequins, actively using them as shields. It didn't help. Quicker than the eye could follow their pumpkin heads sprouted steel throwing spikes from the left eye. **

**Ranma landed lightly next to the last red sash, the one that resembled Snape. A six foot spear was passed through its head, down through its torso and out between its legs into the ground, pinning it upright like, well, a scare crow. **

**Jordan was so caught up in trying to figure out were Ranma had been hiding a spear of that length, he forgot to stop the time clock. **

**The entire audience seemed to rise in collective apprehension as the bludger came racing towards the back of Ranma's unwitting head, only to suddenly drop like puppets with their strings cut when at the last instant Ranma whipped around, one arm, one finger extended to intercept the hard ball. The bludger disappeared in a cloud of fine dust, the wind of its own passage swirling its remains around and past him.**

"**Mr. Jordan." Dumbledore's commanding voice called Lee out of his shocked silence. "The time clock please." **

**Scrambling, his dark face red from embarrassment at his lapse, Lee stopped the clock. Its hands stopped at just under thirty seconds, nearly half of that lost to Jordan's impersonation of a statue. **

**A sudden crack of thunder shattered the shocked silence, pouring rain jerkily pulling the stunned crowd from their seats sending them racing for cover. Cringing, Ranma felt the water on his face and the familiar tingle of the change sweeping through him. Despairing that everyone in the school was about to learn of his curse, she was surprised when a concealing rain slicker suddenly draped over her head. Turning back to look behind her, her blue eyes peering out from under the sheltering garment, she found Akane staring back from beneath her own slicker. Smiling back at her wife, Ranma was relieved, confident that no one in the stands could have seen her before Akane's quick action hid her from view. **

**Suppressing a relieved giggle, Ranma raced with Akane towards the sheltering tunnels under the stands. The roar of the falling rain fell behind them to be replaced by the comforting sound of its drumming on the roof above their heads. **

**Ranma was stopped by a friendly hand falling on her shoulder. Looking over that shoulder, her slicker sliding down from her head, she found Albus Dumbledore's blue eyes dancing with mischief. **

"**Well done Miss Saotome, most impressive." **

**Ranma and Akane couldn't contain their joyous smiles. Their combined radiance warmed Albus's heart, momentarily eclipsing the discomfort of his dying right hand. Madam Hooch interrupted the moment, leading the girls into the player's ready room to wait for the rain to pass.**

********

**For the next two days talk at Hogwarts was dominated by Ranma's demonstration. In the great hall during meals the tables were alive with debate about the value of what the students had witnessed. In the halls and courtyards younger students excitedly recounted Ranma's attacks, each retelling more fantastic then the last. In the boy's dorms there were arguments about how the great wizards of the west would fare against Ranma and some wishes that Akane would do a demonstration, perhaps involving fans. In the girls dorms they talked about Ranma, but not about his demonstration. **

**Scrimgeour sat in his office at the ministry with a smile on his lined face and copies of several newspapers on his desk. Each was still filled with wild and fearful speculations about the actions of the Dark Lord. If the papers were to be believed than every time someone's cat went missing it was Voldemort's doing. It was disgusting and filled Scrimgeour with contempt, but for once those stories did not dominate the front pages. Instead today's headlines were about Ranma's little demonstration and speculation about the traditions of the East. His little distraction was working, leaving the ministry free to do real work. **

**Lord Voldemort was livid. **

**The rampant fear and speculation fed his power and his ego, which was no small thing. The distraction provided by these exotic barbarians was very much unwanted. **

**So orders went down to the Death Eaters, make the Saotomes disappear and do it in a way that made it clear to everyone who was the true power in the world. No barbarian, no matter how exotic was going to eclipse the Dark Lord. **

**Snape may not be answering to the Dark Lord at the moment, but he too wanted to see the Saotomes taken down a peg or two. **

**On a side note, when the number one goblin at Gringott's bank opened his secure office safe he found a copy of the Daily Prophet, picture of the Saotomes on the front page and a pair of women's panties. Snarling, he ripped the paper to shreds. The panties quietly disappeared into his jacket pocket. **

**Author's notes:**

**I hope the demonstration wasn't a disapointment after all of the build up. I tried to include all of Ranma's skills, including the purely physical ones.**

**A duel with Snape or Lucious? I am trying to figure out how to do either without messing with the original story Rowling wrote.**

**In choosing the wands I gave Akane the dragon scale because that dragon had already appeared in the original story, so it still fit in a western society. The reason I chose the unicorn wand for Ranma wasn't because I felt it was the most appropriate for him, I chose it as a joke at his expense. I had missed the fact that Longbottom had a similar wand, which kind of ruined the joke.**

**Regarding McGonagall's blind eye to the assault on Akane. It seems to me that the professors at Hogwarts are all too willing to throw their students to the wolves if it means they can avoid making waves or it serves a 'higher' purpose.**

**I intend to carry the Saotomes through to after Dumbledore's death, giving them a role in the final battle that hopefully won't mess things up for Harry and Snape.**

**Thank you for the comments and ideas.**


	9. Chapter 9 Werewolves & Secrets

Chapter 9: Werewolves & Secrets

For Ranma and Akane the fallout from the demonstration was all positive. Interest in their classes leaped, the students no longer looked at them like sideshow freaks and Snape was clearly unhappy, something that really pleased Ranma.

Akane gave Ranma a hard time about his showing off but there was pride, not rancor or contempt in her voice so he didn't take her too seriously.

In their lessons they concentrated on the basics and how to better use the spells the students already knew. The fact that several upper classmen, most notably from House Slytherin, chose to skip their class was an added bonus. Neither Akane nor Ranma had any patience for people who only came to impede the rest of the class.

Instead the only real difficulty they had with their classes was the Ravenclaws. Those brain trusts had questions about everything and there seemed to be a serious communications barrier between them and Ranma. Half of the time he couldn't understand their questions and rarely seemed to know how to answer to their satisfaction. Instead it fell to Akane to serve as interpreter.

The worst were actually their private tutors.

Hermoine seemed to have an unquenchable thirst for knowledge no matter the subject and the questions she asked were without end. Ranma had sarcastically commented after one study session that Hermoine could spend hours studying the Tokyo sewer system and canals. Akane smacked him in the arm for that but secretly had to agree, that girl was insatiable.

The worst, in Akane's point of view, was Cho. The Chinese girl seemed to be fascinated with anything Asian and according to the little voice in the back of Akane's mind, the little voice that sounded suspiciously like Nabiki, most especially her husband.

Ranma's difficulty in learning when compared to Akane meant that their study sessions were always split and on the nights when it was Cho and Hermoine, Cho always worked with Ranma.

Akane couldn't help checking up on them. Her neck was starting to hurt and Hermoine quickly noticed. Recognizing the signs of jealousy, having shown them herself, the curly haired girl tried to reassure her new friend.

"Cho isn't trying to steal Ranma," she said "She has yet to get over her old boyfriend, Cedric Godefry. She dated Harry Potter for a while after that and even that didn't last. She probably won't start a new relationship until after she graduates and leaves Hogwarts."

Akane's face screwed up in righteous anger at that. "A real nasty breakup was it? I bet this Cedric was a real jerk."

For the moment Akane forgot that Cho might be a threat, instead seeing another girl who had fallen victim to a self absorbed man. Kuno's legacy lived on and the distrust of men was now deeply ingrained into Akane's psyche. The little Nabiki in the back of her mind was commenting that it was a good thing Ranma was half girl, then 'she' could be trusted half of the time.

"No, no…" Hermoine franticly tried to explain, "…they didn't break up."

Hermoine glanced towards Cho, making sure the Chinese girl hadn't heard before continuing in a whisper. "Cedric was a great guy. He was killed two years ago during the Tri-Wizard cup."

Akane's righteous anger turned to sympathy for Cho's pain, tinged with just a bit of guilt for thinking bad of this Cedric.

"Cedric was killed by 'you know who'." Hermoine added in a whisper, her hand blocking the view of her mouth like she feared someone would read her lips.

Akane didn't know what she meant. "Was it Professor Snape?" Akane asked, her confusion clear on her face.

Hermoine's eyes were open wide, her jaw hanging slack. "You mean…" she squeaked out after struggling to swallow. She continued in a harsh whisper, "You mean you don't know about the Dark Lord? You've never heard of...Voldemort?"

Having said that Hermoine looked around as if afraid Voldemort would appear when his name was spoken, rather like a certain perverted master.

Akane was deeply disturbed by the way her friend tensed up with fear just by speaking about this 'Voldemort'. The tension was rolling off of Hermoine in such heavy waves that even Ranma could sense it from across the room. By now Akane was used to Ranma's over protectiveness and seeing his inquiring look she waved him off.

He looked like he might come over anyway but Cho grabbed his wrist and his attention, turning him back to the book in front of him. Akane felt a momentary spike of jealousy, Cedric or no Cedric. She didn't know this Harry Potter, he didn't even attend their class, so she didn't know if Cho's inability to forget poor Cedric when in his company meant anything or not, but she was accustomed to girls throwing themselves at her Ranma. Trust did not come easy to Akane, not with boys and not with girls when Ranma was involved.

Akane's attention was pulled back to her study-mate when Hermoine grabbed onto her wrist. The white knuckled tension in her hand clued Akane in on just how upset the other girl was about this 'Voldemort'.

"Voldemort is one of the most powerful and evil dark wizards that ever lived. Sixteen years ago he lead a reign of terror across England with his followers, the Death Eaters. Their stated goal was the eradication or subjugation of all wizards and witches who weren't from pure blood families. They killed whoever they wanted and no one could stop them. This went on until Voldemort personally murdered Harry's parents, but when he tried to kill Young Harry something went wrong and Voldemort disappeared. His movement was broken, most of his followers were imprisoned in Azkaban. Everyone was so relieved that they tried to forget he ever existed. That's why no one used his name just calling him 'he who must not be named'. Its also why Harry is so famous. Many believe that he is the only one who can stop Voldemort and apparently Voldemort believes it too because ever since he came back he has been trying to kill Harry. That's why Harry hasn't been attending your class, he is personally training with Dumbledore himself."

The way Hermoine said the last it was obvious to Akane that she thought training with Dumbledore was better than training with her and Ranma. If Ranma had heard she knew he would be off to challenge Dumbledore to prove who was better.

Akane would have been offended herself, if she wasn't distracted by what Hermoine had said about Voldemort killing people sixteen years ago, at the same time her mother's mentor and her muggle husband had died. Then she thought about Mei Lin's warning to them not to talk about Amelia or their connection to her.

'Could Voldemort be responsible for Amelia's death and would he threaten the Tendos if he knew about that connection?'

Akane felt a pang of fear as she thought of her sister Kasumi and mother Nodoka alone in London. If there had been a phone at Hogwarts she would have been running to use it. She had to tell Ranma that this weekend they were going to London.

****

Friday morning dawned like any other fall day at Hogwarts school for Witchcraft and Wizardry, it was raining. Thanks to Mr. Jordan's little rain prank Ranma was always a little apprehensive being in the great hall on a rainy day and so were the Slytherins. That might be why he was so distracted that morning at breakfast, but it didn't explain what was eating at Akane.

The night before, after their study session with Cho and Hermoine, Akane had quickly dragged her husband back to their rooms and shared her fears about this 'Voldemort' and what he might do to Kasumi and Nodoka. She hadn't been exaggerating when she thought of the wide protective streak Ranma had running through him and he had wanted to go right then. She was anxious herself but still convinced him that they shouldn't leave until morning, after they discussed it with Professor Dumbledore. Unfortunately that plan was torpedoed by the discovery that the headmaster was again absent. After breakfast they managed to corner Professor McGonagall who told them that Dumbledore was away from the school and likely wouldn't return until late Sunday.

With no other option, Akane told her about their intention to visit London for the weekend. She didn't tell her why, following Mei Lin's advice, but Minerva could sense their fearful worry. She told them that though it was highly irregular for a teacher to leave the school while the students still remained, there weren't any rules against it as long as classes were neither missed or delayed.

Thus it was that less than an hour after the end of breakfast, Ranma and Akane Saotome left Hogwarts and made their way to Hogsmead and the entrance to the flu network found in the Three Broomsticks Tavern.

****

All in all Hermoine found it to be a normal Friday. If she wasn't so excited about learning she would even have called it boring and guessing from the glazed look in Ron's eyes he clearly thought so too. Looking around the dark room in which Snape taught the defense against the dark arts, she thought everyone looked bored. Even Harry, who most often looked like he was waiting for Snape to attack him, looked bored.

That all changed when the professor entered the room. Sure Harry suddenly grew wary in Snape's presence, but the other students also picked up on the purposeful energy the professor gave off as he walked to the front of the room with long, quick strides.

Even Hermione grew more attentive, if that was even possible, when she caught a glimpse of what the professor carried tucked under his arm. It was a long roll of paper, like one of the poster maps she had on her bedroom wall at home.

Most girls lined their walls with posters of actors and singers they thought were 'so hot'. Above her bed Hermoine had the periodic table and across from that a satellite photo of Europe.

Her attention really peaked when her sharp eyes caught the faint blue print on the back side of the roll. Printed over and over across the paper in diagonal rows were the words "Printed on Kodak Paper." There were maybe three students in the entire class who would recognize that and realize how out of place it was at Hogwarts. Hermoine was attentive before, now she was bouncing in her seat.

Placing the paper roll and his books on the table at the front of the room, Snape drew himself up somehow still looking imposing even though his students were no longer children.

"Welcome to defense against the dark arts." he said in his commanding voice.

Hermione exchanged confused glances with Harry. Why was Snape starting the class like it was the first day of the year?

"It would behoove you to pay attention." Snape snapped, somehow he was now standing over Harry.

"Yes professor." Harry responded, the hostility in his voice thinly concealed as he tried to ignore Draco's smirk.

To everyone's surprise Snape turned to Draco. "You too Mr. Malfoy. What I teach in this class may prove _very_ valuable to you." He said it staring directly into Draco's eyes. After a brief moment he turned and began to leisurely walk back to the front of the room.

Hermione looked from Draco's surprised face to Snape's retreating back. Snape never called Draco out in class for being inattentive when the professor was targeting another student for ridicule. From the look on Malfoy's face he was just as surprised.

Rounding the table at the front of the class Snape resumed his lecture.

"In defense against the dark arts we attempt to teach you how to protect yourselves from the less fortunate consequences that await the unwary in this world."

Again Snape was going on like it was the first day of class and for first years at that. What was he about?

"It seems that wiser heads at the ministry have decided that the time has come for you to be introduced to an entire section of the world largely ignored by the wizarding world. With the introduction of the Saotomes and their differing ways of magic, it would seem most appropriate to introduce you to some of the dangers to which they would be _familiar_."

He drew out the word 'familiar' in a way that made Hermoine very uncomfortable. This was all beginning to seem somehow familiar to her to.

At the front of the room Professor Snape took up the long roll of paper and with a tap of his wand caused the parchment to unroll, holding itself against the wall. It was now revealed to be a black and white photo of a misty valley. The original photo appeared to be taken with a less advanced camera than the digital ones to which the muggle born Hermoine was accustomed. The image was grainy and the occasional blur from movement made her think it was probably taken by a camera with a long exposure time. She started as she realized the original negative could be a century old.

"What's wrong with the picture, why doesn't it move?" This question was asked by Goyle, neither the brightest nor most observant student in the room, he didn't realize that the picture was clearly taken without the benefit of magic, making it ironically enough, a still life photo.

"The _picture_ doesn't move because it was taken without the benefit of magic."

Hermione struggled to contain the chuckle that came as she realized how closely the professor's statement mirrored her own thoughts, and because she could tell how disgusted Snape was with having to explain something so obvious to the pure blood heir.

"This is a picture of the Valley of _Jusenkyo_, a place in the most remote regions of China. The picture was taken with a muggle device because the taint on the valley interferes with all magic's foreign to its own."

The valley floor was liberally littered with dozens of pools of water, bamboo shoots rising from their depths like flag poles. A low mist obscured large sections of the picture.

"In English they are called 'The Pools of Sorrow'. Each pool has its own tragic story of something that drowned in its depths in the past. The pools are artifacts of death magic, fed by the lives lost in their waters."

"How could anyone be foolish enough to drown in one of those tiny pools? All you'd have to do is stand up."

Snape gave the smirking Shamus a contemptuous glare. "Don't allow their innocent appearance to trick you into complacency. After all, even a bestial werewolf appears innocent enough when the moon isn't full."

A brief meeting of the eyes with Draco and he continued his lecture.

"Each of the pools is marked by the creature that drowned in it, anyone who latter falls in the same pool, which no longer seeks to kill its victims, is then cursed to take on a form like that of the creature that previously drowned there. From that day forth with the simple application of water, the victim undergoes a complete transfiguration. The form can be as harmless as a common cat or rat, or it could be anything up to and including a dragon. Before any of you begin to imagine the possible advantages of such a curse, consider that unlike the werewolves curse, this one can be activated at any time by such a common substance as water. I'm sure you can imagine the embarrassment of suddenly finding yourself wearing a less than complimentary form. Now imagine what would happen if you were in a life and death situation and the falling rain renders you a small, helpless animal."

This lecture was definitely familiar and his continued references to werewolves...suddenly Hermoine understood what was going on, it was Remus Lupin all over again. A valley of cursed pools in remote China would not normally be a threat to people as far away as Japan, so pointing out that it was a danger familiar to the Saotomes didn't make sense, unless somehow it really was familiar to the Saotomes. Hermoine's stomach sank as she realized what Snape was doing. One or both of the Saotomes carried a curse from these pools, something that if it became known would hurt them. It was common knowledge that Professor Snape did not approve of their presence at Hogwarts and like with Remus he was intending to expose the curse, driving them from the school.

"Yes Miss Parkinson?" Snape called, Pansy Parkinson for once had her hand raised, anxious to ask her question.

"Professor, could these pools be used to impersonate an individual like the poly juice potion?"

No one was surprised that Pansy was interested to know how the curses could be exploited.

"To the best of western knowledge no, but you might ask the Saotomes about the limitations of the pools." Hermoine watched with growing horror as the lights went on in Draco's eyes. She saw a small, tight smile appear briefly on the professor's face.

"Oh my."

****

The rest of class was dedicated to more bizarre, if more likely threats. Incense the smoke of which could temporarily alter behavior and personality, magic potions that could block memory, water spirits and oni.

The east also had their own versions of unforgivable curses, spells that could rip out a person's heart, baleful polymorphs, even magic that allowed the practitioner to siphon the life energy from another person to heal wounds and unnaturally extend their own life.

The primary defense in the east seemed to be not letting them hit you, a good defense against a lot of western magic too. It was easy to see how much influence combat had on their traditions.

Ron felt it was a waste of energy, Harry found it fascinating, Hermoine would have been excited to learn about it if she wasn't so busy worrying about what was going to happen to her new friends.

Looking back it was easy to see that Ranma, not Akane was the one with the curse. He had talked a little about his time training in China and while Akane had been seen jogging outside if the rain was light, she couldn't recall ever seeing Ranma in the rain. While that wasn't entirely true, given what Snape had taught them about the curses she now knew that she had, several times. She had seen him jogging with Akane, she saw him in the rain that some prankster caused to fall in the great hall, and she saw him the day he arrived with rain pouring down outside.

Draco is a fool but he isn't stupid, Snape gave him everything he needed to start wondering about the red headed oriental girl seen several times with Akane. If Ranma was trying to keep his curse a secret he wasn't doing a very good job of it. Was it even 'him' or was it 'her', the curse could after all work both ways. No, Akane wouldn't be married to another girl even a cursed one. Oriental culture may be different, but it wasn't that different.

For the first time Hermoine didn't listen to the lecture, she was too busy worrying about warning Ranma before everyone figured it out. His curse would get out, history had proven that secrets did not keep at Hogwarts.

****

Hermione was usually in a hurry to leave a class once it ended, anxious for the next that was about to begin. For possibly the first time her rush had nothing to do with her desire to learn, in fact for the first time she was seriously considering skipping a class. She was that worried. Hermione had one character trait that could compete with her hunger for knowledge and that was her sense of loyalty. She had literally confronted a werewolf for the sake of a friend and her friendship never faltered, even when it hurt her or all others turned away.

Harry could testify to that, she had faced the werewolf to help him and when even Ron, Harry's first friend ever, turned from him in scorn or jealousy, Hermione stayed with him. She may be the only one left he trusted without reservation.

She hadn't know the Saotomes for very long and of the two was closer to Akane, but what hurt Ranma would also hurt Akane. So right now here she was, anxious to leave class. Hermione may do more than well in school, but she didn't do very well at schooling her features and her anxiety was plain to see.

Even Ron, who more often than not seemed oblivious to subtle emotional cues was looking at her with concern.

Harry had never exchanged more than two words with either Saotome so he didn't realize the personal significance Snape's lesson held for them. Harry wasn't stupid and he could tell that Snape had been trying hard to get something, some message across to Draco, but Harry was so accustomed to being the target of their spite he can be forgiven for not realizing the threat was to someone else. He might have even been relieved to learn he wasn't the only one who kept finding themselves at the heart of trouble. It's a shame really that he hadn't gotten to know Ranma, they had so much in common.

Hermione's friends were not the only ones to notice her bouncing in her chair. Class ended and she quickly gathered her text books, but when she rose to leave she found Professor Snape standing over her, hedging her in.

"Miss Granger, is there a problem or was my lecture boring you?"

She looked towards the door where Harry was waiting with an annoyed looking Ron. The rest of the class was funneling past them and through the door, Draco was no where in sight.

"Well Miss Granger, which is it? Normally you are a most attentive student, but today you ignored the lecture I so carefully prepared."

Snape was wearing his usual bitter face, but she could see the light burning deep in his eyes. He didn't care if she was paying attention or not, he was delaying her. While she was in here playing verbal tag with Snape, Draco was out there hunting Ranma.

"I'm sorry Professor, I guess I was just so surprised to see a muggle photograph here at Hogwarts that I wasn't as quick to raise my hand as usual. Where did you get that still life Professor? It was obviously very old and must have taken a great deal of effort to obtain." She looked up at him, trying to affect the appearance of her usual curiosity. She was curious, but her friendship won out.

"You are not the only one with a library card, Miss Granger."

His use of the muggle term surprised her. Of all the professors at Hogwarts Snape usually took the greatest efforts to separate himself from the magic less world around them.

Looking about the room as if he had only just now realized how long they had been conversing, Snape stepped back clearing her path. "It does appear you may be late for your next class, it would be a shame to ruin your perfect attendance record. Borrow the notes for today's class from one of your helpful friends, you will be tested on it."

Biting back a sarcastic response that would only lead to more time wasted listening to him lecture her on showing proper respect, Hermione just nodded then scooted out the door past Ron and Harry.

Harry glanced back at Snape, witnessing the presence of an amused and decidedly unfriendly smile gracing his tight lipped mouth.

****

Ron and Harry had to put an effort into keeping up with Hermione, she was walking so fast, her strides angry while her face showed worry.

"What was that all about Hermione?" Harry asked once he was close enough he didn't have to shout. "I know Snape was up to his usual no good, but what has you so anxious that isn't potions class? Which is in the other direction."

Without breaking stride Hermione began ascending a wide staircase.

She responded to Harry's questions in a terse whisper. "Professor Snape was telling Draco a secret about Ranma Saotome in a way that would appear innocent, just like he did with Professor Lupin. That is what's going on and I'm not going to potions class, I'm going to find Ranma to warn him about Draco."

"Blimey Harry, I thought I heard Hermione say she was going to dodge class. You better catch me, I think I'm about to faint."

Hermione threw Ron a dirty look, ever since the incident with Ginny and Dean he was being so annoying.

"This is more important than attending class Ron, friends stand up for each other. If you are feeling faint however, perhaps you should find a place to sit down., like maybe class."

Hermione searched all over Hogwarts for the Saotomes. She started with their private rooms, then their class room, when they weren't there either she tried the kitchen and then the library. She was stalking through the halls followed by Harry and Ron when they ran into Ms. McGonagall.

"Why Miss Granger, Mr. Potter and Mr. Weasley, why aren't you in class?" She looked them over in that calm and polite way she had, that somehow conveyed disappointment at the same time.

"I'm sorry Professor, but we are trying to find the Saotomes. Draco knows about Ranma's little secret and I intend to warn them."

Professor McGonagall did not like hearing that. She had some idea of how sensitive Ranma was about his curse and she knew what young students were like once something caught their attention. If this wasn't handled correctly some one could be hurt and given Ranma's style of magic, it might be more than their feelings that end up getting bruised.

"I'm sorry Miss Granger, but you won't find them here. The Saotomes returned to London for the weekend on a matter of some urgency."

Hermione clenched her fists in frustration. "There must be some way to warn them before they return. Could we send an owl?"

McGonagall shook her head no, "I'm afraid not. I don't know where in London they are staying. It will just have to wait until they return on Sunday."

"But Professor, you know how embarrassed Ranma will be if his secret gets out and Draco has been searching for a way to get back at him for humiliating him before the other students. He will no doubt find some way to make it even worse!"

"Please remain calm Miss Granger, becoming upset will not help and may even make things worse. I know how protective Mr. Saotome is about his problem and I also realize Mr. Malfoy's proclivity for striking out, but Mr. Saotome has had this problem for some time now and I'm quite confident he has had to deal with its discovery before. If it will ease your mind I will bring this matter to the attention of Professor Dumbledore upon his return. You can trust that he will do whatever can be done. Now I suggest that the three of you carry yourselves to the Great Hall before you miss lunch as well as class and that will be ten points from each of you for truancy. Now go, you are not helping your friends by standing in the hall."

Harry and Ron each grabbed one of Hermione's arms and dragged her away. "That's just lovely Hermione, thirty points we've lost because of this wild goose chase of yours. What could Draco do to Ranma anyway, you saw the demonstration. The best Draco could hope to do is bloody Ranma's fist with his nose."

Hermione rolled her eyes at Ron, sometimes he could be so juvenile in his thinking.

"Draco won't attack Ranma, even he isn't arrogant enough to believe he could win after that display of speed and power." Harry said in support of Ron.

Again Hermione couldn't help but feel contempt for how dense the male gender seemed to be when faced with issues of conflict.

"You don't understand Harry, Draco isn't going to attack Ranma. He's going to expose his secret and knowing the Malfoys he'll do it in the most hurtful way possible. If Ranma attacks him after that then Professor Dumbledore will have no choice but to remove him from the school. That is what Snape wants, why he told Draco the secret. You heard him, he wants the barbarians gone."

Ron grabbed Hermione by the arm, stopping her in the hall. "What secret, that they have magical threats in the East. I don't think anyone finding out about that is going to hurt a tough guy like Ranma."

Harry looked thoughtful, "Not the presence of magical threats Ron, Snape made a special point of connecting the Saotomes to the place in that picture."

Hermione looked relieved, at least Harry was able to put the pieces together. Sometimes she really wondered if the brains in the Weasley family skipped over Ron and landed on Ginny. "Their called the Pools of Sorrow Harry and their located in the hinter regions of China. Ranma traveled through China while training, he must have encountered the pools and that is what Snape wanted Draco to know."

"What, you mean those pools that turn you into something else, like a mouse or dragon? What could Ranma turn into that would be so harmful if everyone found out? You heard Snape, how would we even know if we saw it?"

"But you have seen it Ron, you just didn't make the connection because neither you nor anyone else had reason to suspect, but now that Snape has let the cat out of the bag people are sure to make the connection."

"What connection and when did I see this secret form? I don't remember seeing anything but Filch's cat Miss Norris and she's been here longer than we have."

"But we have seen it Ron." Harry interrupted, the lights going on in his head. "We've seen it more than once and the first time was on the first night of the school year in the Great Hall."

Hermione couldn't contain a giggle at Ron's expense. "Exactly Harry and as I remember Ron and Shamus were practically drooling at the time."

"Huh, what are you talking about. Ranma wasn't there the first night, the only new person was that red headed … oriental … girl. I think I'm going to be sick."

Like Hermione, Harry couldn't stop the smile from spreading across his face. He remembered what Ron and Shamus had said that night in the dorms about the hot little red head and how they would make her feel welcome. If Ranma ever found out about the fantasies the two shared, Ron he was sure, would be suffering from a lot worse than a queasy stomach.

Side note:

Can anyone explain why the document manager keeps adding underlines and bolding to my text?


	10. Chapter 10 Just Visiting

Chapter 10: Just Visiting

It was only midmorning when Ranma and Akane exited the flu network in the Lanshear's back yard and while the sky was only slightly overcast in Scotland, it was raining in London. Standing beneath the small pavilion that stood over the outdoor fireplace they were protected from the falling rain, as well as the eyes of any neighbors who might be looking out of their second story windows. Looking out at the falling rain Ranma grumbled.

Looking at her husband's profile as he looked disconsolately into the rain, Akane wore a small smirk of her own.

"Look at it this way Ranma, at least Newt will be happy to see you."

He responded with a dirty look, which was then replaced by a calculating one.

"You know..." he said in a distracted voice, "it isn't raining all that hard. I bet I can clear the fence fast enough and get into the house without getting wet enough to trigger the change."

A smirk slowly spread across his face and she knew he was now seeing it as a challenge, man against nature and all that.

"Ranma" Grabbing his arm before he could try it. "That fence is eight feet tall. You know as well as I that we're not supposed to show what we can do where people might see."

His answer was to take her hand in his, gently disengaging it from his arm.

"Relax Akane, no one will see us. It's raining; dark, dismal, English and all that."

He tried to make his smile a reassuring one but all he managed to pull off was cocky. It was that very smile that made Harrison Ford a superstar and it stole Akane's breath away. He took off before she could recover her wits.

In a flash he was over the fence and out of sight.

"Baka" she whispered. Then telling herself there was no greater risk in two going then there was in only one, she followed. She cleared the fence just in time to see the door closing behind him. Darting through the back door herself, she marveled to discover that she was still dry.

"You were right Ranma, I didn't get...wet."

Her delight faded to puzzled surprise when she found herself staring at the back of a red head of hair. Beyond the shorter girl that Ranma had become, Akane could see her older sister Kasumi. She was wearing a long gray wool skirt and dark blue long sleeve blouse. She was also holding a mostly empty wash pail.

"Oh, Ranma. I'm sorry, we weren't expecting you."

Whatever Ranma's response might have been it was cut off by the arrival of a blue and yellow blur as two feet of ballistic exuberance leaped into her startled embrace.

"Rama!"

A high pitched cry of childish joy as Newt made an impressive leap from the floor to Ranma-Chan's chest. Wrapping her small arms and legs around the surprised red head, the blonde two year old in pig tails saw Akane standing behind her in the doorway.

"Kane!"

Her second cry of joy ended suddenly as her eyes and mouth opened wide, her expression changing to one of unpleasant discovery.

"Rama uh oh! Mommy change!"

Seeing the cute little girl trying to hold herself away from Ranma's wet shirt Akane rescued the girl, snatching her from her spouses arms only to receive an excited hug herself.

No longer holding Newt, Ranma swept her soaked shirt off over her head, leaving her upper body bare as she proceeded to wring it out over Kasumi's pail.

Newt giggled at the unexpected display of Ranma's femininity.

"Rama momma."

More giggling as she pointed at the now pale faced girl's chest.

Shaking slightly from the horror of what the little girl had innocently called her, Ranma clutched her still damp shirt to her chest.

"I think I'll go change." She forced out through a tight throat, voice barely above a whisper.

"Yes dear," Nodoka had arrived unnoticed and was now standing behind Kasumi in the door of the kitchen, a stern look of disapproval on her face. "I think that would be a very good idea and Ranma-Chan,"

Ranma cringed when her mother used what she felt was a feminine suffix.

"Newt has missed you and I'm sure she would love to spend some time with her two girlfriends, so please dress appropriately. We don't want to set a bad example for an impressionable little girl now, do we?"

"No mother." Ranma answered timidly, before disappearing down the cellar stairs to her room. This was one thing she hadn't missed while at Hogwarts. She could only hope her mother wouldn't try to make her wear any makeup this time.

****

It had been three weeks since Ranma and Akane had last seen Kasumi and Nodoka, and though they had exchanged regular correspondence no letter could compare with talking to someone face to face. Not even a magical talking letter. Akane, Kasumi and Nodoka were all seated around the kitchen table enjoying a hot cup of tea. While Ranma-Chan was seated Indian style on the floor with Newt in her lap, coaching the little girl as she threw a small rubber ball against the cabinet catching it as it bounced back. It was a good coordination drill and after a summer of training the two year old was doing remarkably well, making her teacher very proud. Watching the red head with the two year old started Akane thinking about how it would be when they had children of their own.

She had spent the last hour regaling the older ladies with stories about events at Hogwarts. The newspaper article about Ranma's demonstration had been collected and preserved, a copy even sent back to Nerima and everyone wanted to hear how things were going. Akane did her best to fill them in with the occasional input from Ranma. Eventually, the conversation winding down, Kasumi and Nodoka turned their thoughts to lunch while Akane remembered why she and Ranma came home in the first place. Her fears had been momentarily forgotten in the excitement of seeing her sister and mother in law again.

"Kasumi"

"Yes Akane?"

"Did Mei Lin talk to you about Amelia Pendleton?"

She now had the attention of both older women and Ranma.

"Yes she did, but she didn't tell us much. Only warning us not to talk about her where others might hear. Why, is there something we should know?"

Briefly glancing to Ranma for support, Akane tried to explain her fears without sounding paranoid.

"It's just that recently at school I heard about something that happened fifteen years ago and...I'm not sure if it has anything to do with Amelia, but with Mei Lin's warning...it has me a little worried."

Ranma-Chan snorted indelicately, 'A little worried my...'.

As if she knew what her child was thinking, Nodoka interrupted her thoughts with "Ranma-Chan, that is not appropriate behavior for a young lady. Especially where Newt can hear you."

"Sorry Mother."

In more than ten years of near constant proximity with Genma Ranma had never once apologized to the old man, for anything. He and especially when in girl form, couldn't seem to go one day around his mother without having to apologize for something.

"Now dear," Nodoka had turned her attention to her daughter in law. "what was it that you heard that has you worried?"

In a nervous gesture Akane straightened the front of her blouse, as if ordering her clothes on the outside would help order her thoughts on the inside.

"Hermoine, one of our friends at school, told me that fifteen years ago there was an insurrection...rebellion...I don't know what you would call it but she told me there was a group of people here that tried to 'cleanse their society of impurities'. A nice way of saying they started killing people they didn't want around."

She took a sip of her cooling tea to wet her throat.

"According to her no one could stop them until their leader disappeared. Everyone thought he was dead and the fighting stopped, but she told me that he has recently returned and the fighting is starting again. I didn't dare ask, but I couldn't help but wonder if maybe he was responsible for the death of Amelia and her husband."

Nodoka thought about what her new daughter said.

"Do you think he might be a threat to us?" She asked.

"I don't know." Akane admitted. "I hope not, but I want to talk to Mei Lin about it. If he is a threat I don't want to find out about it too late."

Walking to the phone Kasumi drew her wand, using it to summon a small rolodex. It was a spell Ranma still couldn't cast, the fact Kasumi could annoyed her to no end.

Kasumi flipped through the small file of cards, searching for Medwin's cell phone number. While most wizards, even those in the ministry, were woefully ignorant of modern technology, Medwin's work with the muggles required him to be more cognizant of their achievements. It also required him to be more accessible to non magic folk. The phone wouldn't work if he was in the offices of the ministry, but it would divert their call to voice messaging. They listened as Kasumi left a message requesting that he and Mei Lin contact them when they could, telling him that Ranma and Akane had come home for the weekend.

Hanging up the phone, Kasumi turned to address her family.

"Abigail will be coming by to collect Newt after two, if Mr. Lanshear hasn't called us by then I'm sure she can help us get a message to him." Putting on a smile she tried to lift the suddenly somber mood that had infected her family. "In the meantime Nodoka and I have found a new cookbook on English pastries. Akane, would you like to help me make some scones? Nodoka and Ranma can make the cream and we'll have something nice waiting to share when our friends arrive."

Leave it to Kasumi to use food to relieve tension. Akane was so excited at the prospect of helping she forgot her nebulous fears of a faceless enemy. Ranma was so terrified of the real threat of Akane in the kitchen it wouldn't have mattered if Voldemort appeared at their table right then, Ranma would have welcomed the distraction.

****

The meeting with Mei Lin and Medwin wasn't very enlightening, but it did help assuage their fears. Both confirmed the return of the murderer Voldemort, along with his connection to the deaths of Amelia and her husband. After learning of Kimiko's relationship with the late witch Mei Lin had made a detailed study of everything the ministry had on the case, along with the cold case file kept by the muggle police. The evidence led her to believe that the dark lord was directly responsible, but his motive was unclear. The theory commonly held at the ministry at the time was that he personally found Amelia's family's history of marrying muggles to be offensive. Her family line was one of the oldest in England, tracing its history as far back as the court of Charlemagne in Gaul, but unlike most of the old families they made no effort to keep their line 'pure'. In fact they seemed to encourage welcoming new blood into their family, especially muggle blood. If it wasn't for the fact that the family had given rise to several witches and wizards of note, the whole line would have been written off as inconsequential by the pure blood families. The theory was that Voldemort wasn't going to allow them the chance to do so again.

Both Mei Lin and Medwin agreed that their families history with that line shouldn't put them at risk. They only recommended keeping it secret on the basis that anything that might draw the attention of the Death Eaters was something to be avoided. They did promise that steps were being taken by the ministry to protect their home in Watford, while security at Hogwarts was second too non. Better even then that of the ministry itself.

Fears eased by the duo's promise that they had little to fear, the once tense meeting ended with Kasumi inviting both Medwin's family and the Hendersons to join them for the evening, passing around the cream scones she and Akane had made that afternoon. Even with Akane's contribution everyone agreed that the pastries were a delicious success.

****

Saturday morning Akane awoke to the sound of someone carefully closing her bedroom door. Sitting up in her bed, a quick survey of the room proved that she was alone. Whoever had closed the door they did it on their way out. She had forgotten her lingering fears over desert the night before, people complimenting her cooking even asking for seconds was still novel enough that the pleasure she felt in her accomplishments in the kitchen swept every other emotion away, so knowing someone had been in her room merely aroused her curiosity.

After a quick visit to the shower she dressed and made her way downstairs to the kitchen where she found Kasumi busy preparing a large English breakfast.

"Good morning Akane." Kasumi greeted her with a warm smile. "I can't tell you how wonderful it is to have you and Ranma back in our home away from home. I'm so glad you came to visit."

Akane didn't try to resist the warm feeling of love she was getting from her older sister.

"Thank you Kasumi, I'm glad we came, even if my original reason for coming was so unpleasant."

She looked around the kitchen in confusion, the amount of food cooking on the small stove giving testimony that Kasumi couldn't have left the kitchen for quite some time.

"Kasumi, were is mother Nodoka?"

If Kasumi wasn't the one in her room then she figured it must have been her newly acquired mother in law.

"Nodoka went down to the market to get some fresh muffins for breakfast. She was so excited to have everyone here, she wanted breakfast to be perfect."

Puzzled, Akane asked "Kasumi, were you in my room this morning?"

Her sister was facing away from her, but Akane caught the brief look of worry that flickered across her face.

"No Akane, please don't get angry but that was Ranma. He spent most of the night in your room."

"Why that..." Akane's reflexive response was to track the baka down and pound the perversion out of him but Kasumi's hand on her arm distracted her and in all honesty, having shared a bed with Ranma for nearly a month had defused the fear that used to fuel her anger.

"Ranma wasn't being perverted Akane."

Kasumi wore her concern openly now.

"Ranma hasn't slept the whole night through since you came back from China. He spends most of the night wandering the halls or up on the roof, and more often then not he ends up in your bedroom."

Further conversation on the topic was disrupted by Nodoka's return, a basket of hot rolls in hand.

That morning over breakfast Akane kept a close eye on Ranma, trying to figure out what was going through his head. He seemed cheerful enough and his appetite was certainly healthy enough. As good as the food was at Hogwarts it lacked something when compared to what Kasumi and Nodoka prepared. Ranma was young and strong but looking closely she could see small signs of fatigue, she could also see his attempts to hide it. Trying to puzzle out his late night behavior, she recalled his one and only nightmare while they were at Hogwarts. The dream confused her at the time, from what Ranma said in her sleep it didn't sound like the normal cat dream. Knowing that he had been watching her at night, the idea that he was afraid she would leave seemed more and more likely. Especially given the timing, having started after China and Saffron. Akane knew she had nearly died at Jusendo, but she didn't remember anything after turning the staff to shut off the water's flow. Looking at her husband now she realized that for Ranma the memories were never very far away. She tried to imagine what it would be like to face losing Ranma, to watch him die. There had been a few times when she thought she might lose him, times like when Happosai punished him with the weakness point, but Jusendo was the only time she honestly feared he might die. She hadn't had time to dwell on the possibility at the time being too busy trying to shut off the flow to save him, but looking back on it now, remembering Saffron gloating that Ranma was going to die...she felt a shiver race down her spine, the blood rushing from her face leaving her pale.

She was brought back to the breakfast table by a gentle hand taking hold of hers. Looking up she meet Nodoka's concerned eyes.

"Are you okay dear? Are you feeling unwell?"

Now everyone was looking at her with worry, especially Ranma.

She shook her head, the motion bringing the blood back to her face.

"No mother I'm fine, it was just a chill but it's gone now."

Nodoka beamed, her concern forgotten. She loved it when the girls called her mother.

It made Akane feel pretty good to. Looking at Nodoka she superimposed the image of her own mother over her mother in law, an image that was now crisp and clear thanks to her dreams. The two women didn't look much alike but the love she could see in their eyes was the same. Akane wished her own mother could be there, but that desire didn't make her appreciate Nodoka any less.

****

Akane had been looking forward to working out in Whippendell Wood, their workouts among the trees numbered among her fondest memories, but being London in the fall it was raining.

While a little falling water was enough to stop Ranma and Akane from working out in the woods if not jogging, it wasn't enough to deter Nodoka. After breakfast the Saotome matriarch announced her intention to spend the day with her girls, a reference that wasn't lost on Ranma.

Armed with umbrellas the four ladies left their home on Percy Rd, making their way through the rain towards the Harlequin shopping center. As they walked to the High St bus stop Nodoka took her daughter's hand, smiling at the younger woman. Standing together under their umbrellas the resemblance between the two was obvious.

Akane felt a sharp stab of jealousy as she watched Ranma and Nodoka, resentful that her own mother couldn't be here. She was so lost in her thoughts, she nearly jumped when she felt another's hand clasp her own. Looking first at her sister's hand, then up to her face where she was watching Ranma and Nodoka, Akane saw the same longing she felt herself.

Kasumi was the oldest and remembered the most about their mother. In fact until her dreams Akane held the least. She was struck by guilt as she realized that she was now enjoying an advantage her sisters didn't have, one she knew they would love to share. She debated telling Kasumi about the dreams but she didn't know for sure what was causing them, or if she would be able to share them. Fearing the heartache it would cause, Akane decided to hold off on telling until she knew for sure.

"Kasumi."

"Yes Akane."

"I don't know if I've ever told you, but thank you."Kasumi smiled at her pleasantly. "For what dear?"

"For being there. For everything you've done for me after mom died. I just wanted you to know how much it means to me and that...I love you."

The smile Kasumi was giving her now wasn't her usual pleasant one, the one she wore for every occasion. It was a heartfelt one filled with emotion and more than a little heartache.

"Thank you..." Kasumi's voice was chocked with emotion. "I love you to."

Seeing the tears beginning to form in her sister's eyes, and feeling the same in her own, Akane decided that a change of subject was in order.

"Mother Nodoka told me that you received a letter from Dr. Tofu."

Kasumi's face brightened, a faint blush spreading across her cheeks as her smile became more wistful.

"Yes. It isn't a very long one..." She stopped to release a small giggle like the schoolgirl she never had the chance to be. "and it was difficult to read, his hand writing really is atrocious, but he wrote to say he hoped I was enjoying my time in England." She turned her face away in embarrassment and Akane could see that the blush now spread across her forehead and down her neck. She continued in a voice that Akane hardly recognized as her sister. It lacked that maternal edge, sounding instead like one of her friends from school. "He said he misses me."

Akane could feel her sister's hand shaking in her own. She gave it a comforting squeeze.

"He really likes you Kasumi."

Kasumi turned back to her shyly, her face wrapped in girlish glee and for the moment she didn't look like the older sister that practically raised her. Walking along in her English skirt and rain coat, her hair done up and wearing makeup, gone was the virtual mother and in her place was a twenty year old young woman thinking about the man she dreamed of spending her life with.

Akane was struck by the realization that this was her sister, a person she hadn't seen since she was a little girl.

"I'm glad we came to England." Akane said, her voice tight with emotion.

"I am too Akane. I am too."

****

The four women spent the day visiting one muggle establishment after another, the streets and customs of London being just has exotic to them as anything Daigon Alley had to offer. Throughout the day Akane watched for a chance to speak alone with her 'wife', to confront her about the nocturnal visits, but Ranma seemed so happy spending time with her mother without the pressure of being 'manly', that Akane couldn't bring herself to intrude.

It was evening when the four ladies returned to the house on Percy Rd, tired but bubbling over with giddy happiness from just spending the day together. While the others went to sit down in the front room, Kasumi went into the kitchen and returned with a tea serving and crumpets, after spending the day immersed in England she felt it appropriate to end their evening the English way.

As they sat around sipping their tea, Akane returned to telling the older ladies about their experiences at Hogwarts. She had Nodoka and Kasumi insanely giggling when she told them about all the rumors about the red haired girl flying around the school. It didn't take too long before Ranma was lying with her head resting on her mother's lap, her soft snores, or was it purring, adding a soft undertone to the evening. All three knew that Ranma hadn't slept the night before and decided to let her sleep.

Akane gathered the sleeping girl up in her arms, intending to take her down to her room, but was stopped by Nodoka's hand on her shoulder.

"Akane dear, would you please take Ranma upstairs to my room. I don't think she is very comfortable alone in the cellar."

"Yes mother." Akane replied, surprised by her request.

Kasumi cleaned up their evening repast as Nodoka and Akane carried Ranma-Chan upstairs.

With gentle care Akane and her mother in law stripped her 'wife' down to her undergarments and placed her in bed. For a moment Akane looked upon her with quiet longing, tempted to join her, but Kasumi appeared in the door asking her if she wanted to use the shower before bed.

Nodoka remained behind, watching her daughter sleep, occasionally brushing the red bangs of her hair away from her face.

That night Ranma slept straight through, she woke to find herself wrapped in a comforting embrace. Turning her head to peek over her shoulder she saw her mother sleeping contentedly beside her. Nodoka missed years of holding and comforting her child and even asleep if felt so good to do so now. Had Ranma been male he probably would have been too uncomfortable to remain in bed with his mother, but for reasons Ranma didn't understand she found it much easier to accept intimacy as a girl. With a pleased smile, she settled down into her mother's warm embrace and though sleep didn't return, she spent the next hour just resting in her mother's love.

****

Sunday morning everyone gathered around the kitchen table for breakfast. Kasumi had prepared a traditional Japanese breakfast just like they used to have at home in Nerima. She knew that at Hogwarts her little sister and her spouse would be surrounded by all things English, so she wanted to give them a taste of home to help carry them over.

Ranma had returned to his male form as soon as he left his mother's presence. He was honestly beginning to believe that she had accepted him even with his curse, and to be truthful, 'she' felt more comfortable around mom than he did, but it was that feeling of being comfortable that so drove him now to return to his natural form. Sometimes, if he spent too much time as a girl it started to feel right. Ranma couldn't afford to accept being a girl, he still believed mom wanted her son and he knew Akane could never love another woman.

They spent the morning at home, just enjoying each other's company. When midday came they gathered one more time around their western style kitchen table for lunch, sharing a simple meal and quiet conversation before Ranma and Akane had to return to Hogwarts.

Author's Notes

Apologies for this being a week late, especially given how short it is. Not much happened in this chapter which made it even harder to write. It's amazing how hard it is to write about nothing. Also I hope this wasn't too mushy. It was intended to be one of those 'family' segments and I considered dropping it but decided its inclusion wouldn't hurt. The next chapter may also be late as I will be trying to do Draco credit.

To answer a couple of questions:

First, Owls. When Harry's letter from Hogwarts arrived at the Weasly home after his rescue in the flying car, Arthur Weasly responded by praising Dumbledore not the owl. My impression was that the owls went where they are told to go, that their ability to keep finding Harry was due to Dumbledore knowing where he was at any given time.

Second, school records. Normally Hogwarts would have records on the home addresses of both professors and students, but it is still a bureaucracy and right now it is one under pressure. Not the recipe for brilliant organization. I didn't want Hermoine to be able to warn them until they returned so I decided that their address had slipped through the cracks left by Dumbledore's frequent absences and distraction. This was done purely for my own reasons and I can't support it from the books.

Third, Tendo dojo. Two doors down from my parents house is a house the Morgan family built. They haven't lived their since the seventies but I still think of it as the Morgan house. People have a tendency to make connections in their minds and they don't give them up easily. For this reason I believe both Ranma and Akane will think of it as the Tendo dojo until the day they die. Following generations may not but for now the name will likely continue to be used. Also, it was Soun who made the sign and he wasn't going to give up his name easily.

To anyone who feels I have been rushing the story since reaching Hogwarts, I am. We have all read books where the author spent three pages telling what could have been done in one and I have been given reason to fear I was doing the same. I'm trying to find that fine line between being thorough and being boring. It doesn't help that I'm also impatient to actually finish something I am writing, I've never done that before if it wasn't a short story. I'll try to address that better.

I was asked why Ranma didn't bring up the subject of Cho speaking Japanese until their first tutoring session. The reason is that is when I thought of it and since I had already posted their earlier meeting I couldn't add it in there. This isn't the first nor will it be the last time I discover something I should have done earlier. I debated holding off on posting this story until it was finished so I wouldn't have these problems, but decided I wanted the feed back while I could still use it.

I have screwed up several times with names. In the case of Crabbe and Goyle I unintentionally replaced their names with more familiar spellings. In the case of Cedric Diggery, your guess is as good as mine, I have no idea why I changed his name.

To Corsairs; Yes the name really is lame and so is the description. I'm glad you read it anyway. At the time I was so anxious to post that I didn't give either much consideration. The Hogwarts title is just the file name I used on my computer. When I said it wasn't a Harry Potter story I meant that it is a Ranma and Akane story, Harry and company are more part of the setting then the center of events. I want this story to run parallel to and maybe add to the original story, not replace it even in parts.

JWG pointed out a possible connection between aparating and the Umi-Sen-Ken, one I hadn't thought of. I have a different idea from the normal method of aparating, one more suited to Ranma and the East and what I have in mind is very similar to the Silent Thief technique, could easily just be the next step and I will definitely be using that in my story. Thanks for the idea.

Again, sorry for the delay and thanks for the feed back.


	11. Chapter 11 Lashing Out

Chapter 11: Lashing Out

It was late afternoon when the Saotomes returned to Hogwarts. Their arrival at the Three Brooms hardly drew a glance from the patrons and to Ranma's relief it wasn't raining in Scotland. They were enjoying the quietly pleasant walk back to the school, their eyes drawn by the vistas of both the castle and the dark waters of the lake, when Akane decided that now would likely be the best opportunity to talk to him about his nocturnal visits.

"Ranma." Her voice was low, her eyes cast down watching her feet. She was nervous about broaching this subject, aware of how wrong it could go.

Ranma turned back from admiring the view of the lake to meet her eyes and was a little annoyed and worried when she refused to respond in kind.

"Yea Akane." His simple response.

Akane bunched her hands into fists, taking hold of her courage. "Why were you in my room last night?"

Ranma's response was strong and immediate. A swell of panic rose up in his breast, washing away his ability to articulate clearly. He took a subconscious step back, increasing the distance between them as his arms raised defensively. He tried to answer but his efforts were hindered by the size seven shoe in his mouth.

"No...why would I...I'm not the old pervert, I mean...why would I peek at a tomboy, I..."

His voice choked off and he didn't seem to be breathing, so she decided she needed to hit reset in the form of a bop on his head. She had been expecting him to say something stupid and she no longer felt threatened by his words, she knew how he really felt, so she didn't reset him very hard. Thus it wasn't so much the hit on the head as his surprise that it didn't hurt that halted Ranma's verbal meltdown.

Giving him a stern look, Akane leaned in close to his face, her hands in fists on her hips and her feet shoulder width apart.

"I know you were in my room and Kasumi told me that you have been doing it since China, so don't try to deny it. I just want to know why."

He stared at her, eyes wide and his mouth opening and closing like one of the koi fish in the pond in the back yard.

She decided that he needed to be reset again, only harder this time.

"Ow!" He finally succeeded in making a sound. "What did ya do that for?" He was rubbing the top of his head, freed from his fugue state.

She relaxed her stance, taking on a less belligerent attitude.

"I'm not angry, I just want to know why."

He wasn't frozen anymore, instead he was nervously rocking around on his heels, looking at anything but her.

"I wasn't doin' nothing perverted..."

She gave a frustrated sigh. He still wasn't answering her question. Akane had her suspicions and decided that it might be more productive if she confronted him with them.

"Ranma..."

He still wasn't looking at her, so she took his face between her hands and forced him to look at her.

"...are you afraid I will leave you?"

The blood rushed from his face, his eyes dropping, roaming restlessly, refusing to look at her face. "No Akane, you wouldn't, I mean you promised and you wouldn't break a promise."

Akane heard his words but she knew from his mannerisms that he was.

She bopped him on the head again. "Is that why you married me, to make me promise not to leave you?" It didn't seem like something Ranma would do, but still...

When she bopped him on the head she had of necessity released it and now he was vehemently shaking it no. He still wasn't answering her. She wished she had some water. Maybe if he wasn't feeling so manly he would be able to tell her.

"Fine. Don't tell me. It's not like it matters." Feeling her anger beginning to get the better of her, Akane turned and started walking towards the castle leaving him behind.

Ranma watched her walk away and he could tell she was angry, but how could he tell her about his fears...

"Ranma Saotome ain't afraid of nothing."

He was a lousy liar.

****

Ranma nearly caught up to her at the school gates but he was waylaid by Filch and his secrets sniffer. The ornery old man seemed to take extra delight in the search and took his sweet time. By the time Ranma made it to their rooms Akane was already gone. The clothes she had been wearing were scattered on the floor and a still opened drawer revealed that her favorite yellow gi was gone.

He knew where she was. Just like back in Nerima he knew she would be down in the dojo breaking bricks.

Stripping out of his own rain gear, he changed into his Chinese tunic and fighting pants. There was a tree outside that he just knew was missing him. Besides, it would make for a good work out.

He swore, hopping around on one foot when he stepped on a hair brush left forgotten on the floor. Its stiff bristles had dug unmercifully into the tender arch of his offended appendage. Picking it up he slammed it down on the dressing table where it belonged. He was so upset he didn't even notice all the little signs that someone had disturbed the contents of their room. Later both he and Akane would each assume that the other was the cause of the little discrepancies, the signs that someone had rifled through their things.

****

Hermoine had spent all of Saturday and now Sunday anxiously awaiting the return of the Saotomes. She stopped by their rooms and dojo several times to see if they were back and even went so far as to cast a simple charm on both doors that would alert her if they were opened. There had been one false alarm. Saturday afternoon while she was at the quid itch tryouts watching Ron compete with that arrogant jerk Cormac McLaggen, the charm on the Saotomes' suite was triggered but by the time she got there no one was around. Deciding that it was a fluke, she recast her spell and returned to her studies. Late Sunday afternoon when the suite door alarm was triggered, followed by the one on the dojo, she knew they were back and took off at a near run.

When she reached their suite knocking drew no response, so figuring they must both be down in the dojo she went to try there next.

Arriving at the hall the Saotomes used as their classroom she found Akane decimating practice dummies at an alarming rate. She watched more than a little awed as the stout wood that made up the human shaped figures gave before the other girl's fists. Stout four by four posts, ones she thought strong enough to stand up to even Hagrid's strength, shattered into kindling before the petite Asian girl.

Hermoine was an intellectual, an academic who placed mental prowess well above the physical. The daughter of two highly educated people she was raised to see the value of a quick mind and a wide breadth of knowledge. Neither of her parents were very physically adept, yet each earned enough to support them in comfort. Which was more than could be said for some of the athletes they attended grammar school with.

When she discovered the existence of magic her opinion shifted even further towards the extreme. The knowledge that a precisely waved wand and properly pronounced word could render even the largest and strongest man an impotent statue gave her a sense of empowerment out of proportion with her own petite frame. The two most powerful and dangerous people she knew of, Dumbledore and Voldimort, were both far from intimidating to look at. Dumbledore looked like everyone's favorite grandfather, hardly threatening. Voldimort was just plain ugly.

She would admit ( with a smile ) that there had been a certain _visceral_ satisfaction in breaking Draco's nose with a well placed punch, but it in no way threatened the supremacy of a sharp intellect backed by the proper spell.

Still the sight of Akane decimating what she would have thought to be stronger than bone was more than a little frightening. When the same girl stopped throwing punches and drew her wand to, with a quick wave and a word, cause the newly chopped firewood to reconstruct itself into intact dummies once more, the combination of magical ability and physical force was terrifying.

Hermoine had never taken the Saotome's class seriously. She still couldn't see herself practicing their art, even after Ranma's demonstrations, but watching the other girl she resolved never to underestimate someone who did.

The dummies restored Akane proceeded to lay into them again. So intent was she on working out her anger and frustration with some harmless destruction, she had yet to notice Hermoine was in the room. Seeing this, Hermoine decided she would have to interrupt. She just hoped doing so didn't make her the target of Akane's wrath.

"Akane...Akane!"

She had to yell to get the dark haired girl's attention and when she did Akane whipped around, hands raised in a defensive posture before recognizing her.

"Hello Hermoine, what brings you here?"

Hermoine stepped forward, chin up and hands behind her back.

"Actually I was looking for Ranma..."

She was cut off when with a sudden shout of anger, Akane spun around striking a dummy with her fist. Breaking the stout post in two and sending the pieces flying.

"I don't know where the baka is. I left him in our room, if he isn't there then he probably went to see one of his..." She stopped mid sentence.

She was about to accuse him of running off to see one of his other fiancées out of habit. She knew it wasn't true, had known for quite some time. If he ran off to see one of them, which he sometimes did when they were fighting, it would be Ukyo and then it would only be to seek the solace of a friend. He never sought more intimate comforts.

Taking deep breaths to center herself, Akane retrieved a towel from the bench by the door, placing herself within arms reach of the English girl. She used it to mop her face and neck, never once making eye contact with Hermoine.

"If Ranma isn't in our room then I don't know where he is, probably working out somewhere. It's what he usually does." The last was said under her breath. "Why, what do you need him for?"

Hermoine looked askance at the other girl. She could be intrusive, bossy and sometimes overly judgmental but Hermoine wasn't insensitive to the feelings of others, unlike a certain red headed Weasly and it wasn't Ginny.

"Is something wrong Akane? Did something happen while you were in London?"

Akane was torn between the need to preserve face and her own desire for the solace found in a friend. Treading a tightrope of words, she tried to achieve both.

"Nothing big, Ranma just did something...nothing bad mind you, and when I asked him why he refused to tell me. Couldn't even talk the baka."

Hermoine didn't know what the word 'baka' meant, but listening to how Akane applied it to Ranma made it easy to guess it wasn't praise for his sharp wit and keen intellect.

"While we were in London I found out that he hasn't been sleeping very well when we...aren't together."

The last was almost too soft to hear and not very informative, but the blush of embarrassment spreading across Akane's neck and face was enough to clue Hermoine in. Mention of the other girl's married life brought a blush to her own cheeks.

"I'm pretty sure I know what is wrong but when I tried to get him to talk to me about it, he brushed me off. I'm supposed to be his wife and he still won't let me help. Not that either of us is ready to be married, we didn't even get a chance to date or be a couple."

Her voice dropped to a barely audible whisper.

"We haven't even kissed really, not even at the wedding. Stupid Kuno."

Hermoine had no idea what a 'Kuno' was, Akane never spoke of her past, barely mentioning anything about her home. Their conversations were almost exclusively composed of the study of magic, something they both found endlessly fascinating. She was pretty sure that Cho and Ranma talked about more, but...wait a minute! They had never been a couple, or even kissed?

"If you weren't a couple then why are you married?!"

Hermoine hadn't meant to ask that, but she was so carried away by disbelief that she blurted it out without thinking.

Akane's face was still red, but now it was a mixture of embarrassment and anger.

"Our baka fathers arranged it before we were even born. Before they were even married themselves. The first time I met Ranma was when my father told me I was engaged to him. I didn't even get an omai, much less a choice in who I would marry."

Arranged marriages...omai? Hermoine didn't know what an omai was, but arranged marriages were something noble families used to do for political reasons. Long ago, as in the distant past. People didn't do that anymore...at least she didn't think they did. She decided that she would write her mother and request some books on Japanese culture, past and present. That was for later, right now Akane was hurting and Hermoine wasn't the kind of person who would stand by while a friend was hurting. This would require careful handling.

"Akane, are you saying that you don't love Ranma?"

"No! I mean...at first we never got a chance too...there was always another rival, or some crazy challenger. Then throw in the occasional Chinese prince seeking a bride...we never had a moment alone too...you know. If that wasn't bad enough then every time we seemed to be getting along our fathers would call a priest. There was so much pressure. We were only sixteen and they would have turned a kiss into a life long commitment. We weren't...I wasn't ready to be a bride. Thanks to Kuno I had never even been on a date."

Hermoine was staring at her, mouth open in horrified disbelief.

Akane winced. "The boys at my school were all perverts."

As Akane continued she began to pace, her movement growing more forceful as she grew more and more upset.

"Then came China and that disastrous wedding...then Kuno's crazy father kicked us out of school!"

Akane stopped pacing, just standing in place, shaking, her hands clenched into fists, head back and eyes closed as she drew deep shuddering breaths.

Hermoine was stunned, to say the least. What Akane was describing sounded like a skit from the Benny Hill show. All that was missing was the dirty old man and the guy in the gorilla suit ( she didn't know about Happosai...or Tsubasa ).

"That sounds..." She had to stop to swallow, her mouth was dry from all the time she spent catching flies while Akane ranted. "That sounds crazy. How did you ever put up with it?"

Akane chuckled darkly. "It wasn't easy."

She stopped, holding still and Hermoine could see the tension leaving her stiff body."Then...it was like the kami decided that enough was enough and everything changed. After the wedding, I mean the first one, our fathers backed off and let us alone. The others stopped intruding on every quiet moment." She was chuckling again but this time it was in genuine amusement. "Even the princes left us alone, not even trying to marry Ranma."

That confused Hermoine, why would a prince want to marry Ranma? Then she remembered why she was looking for the Saotomes in the first place. She had been so overwhelmed by Akane's story that she had totally forgotten. Now she wasn't sure she dared to bring up more bad news.

Akane was oblivious to Hermoine's plight, caught up in her own drama.

Now Akane was openly smiling.

"We entered the tournament and Ranma helped me train. I learned more in the last three months then in the previous six years. When Mei Lin asked us to come here and teach, it was like a fairy tale ending."

Akane stopped, a warm glow spreading through her as she thought of all the wonderful things that had happened this summer. Not the least of which being the chance to learn more about her mother.

Hermoine felt good herself, seeing how happy Akane was now after being so upset before. She really hated to ruin the moment by sharing bad news, but the threat Draco represented was too great to ignore.

"I'm happy for you Akane and I hope your marriage to Ranma proves a good one, but...I really hate to bring you down with bad news..."

Hermoine didn't know of any way to sugar coat this, so she just said it.

"Professor Snape taught a lesson on Jusenkyo."

Akane's brain screeched to a hard stop... "What?"

Hermoine hated this and it showed on her face and in her voice.

"I'm sorry Akane, but Snape taught a lesson about Jusenkyo and I'm pretty sure Draco knows about Ranma's curse."

"He...why would...wait, you know about Ranma's curse? How?"

For one of the few times in her life Hermoine didn't feel so good about being so smart.

"Professor Snape taught a lesson about Jusenkyo and though he didn't actually say Ranma had a curse, he repeatedly connected it to you and Ranma. Knowing that it was possible, it was only a matter of connecting the dots to realize that...that Ranma is the red haired girl that arrived on first night. Really Akane, if he wanted to keep it a secret he wasn't doing a very good job of it."

Akane couldn't argue with that. No matter how hard Ranma tried the curse always found a way to come out. It was just a matter of time. She just hoped it wouldn't prove too painful this time, not for Ranma and not for the other students. They had a good thing here, for the first time their future really was bright. She didn't want to lose that over hurt feelings and wounded pride.

****

It was nearly time for the evening meal so Akane thanked Hermoine for the warning, then went in search of her wayward husband.

She started by returning to their room where, like Ranma, she missed the signs of an earlier intrusion.

Not finding him there she used her wand to leave a magically scribed message on the dressing table mirror, warning him not to leave their suite. Then casting her own charm on the door, she set out to search the rest of the school.

First she double checked their dojo and office, casting charms on those doors as well (magic sure is handy, isn't it). She didn't know where the kitchen was and she was sure Ranma didn't either, so she decided to try Hagrid's hut.

Ranma wasn't there and Hagrid hadn't seen him since before the weekend. He did offer to help her search, so reinforced by the gentle giant Akane headed out into the grounds in search of her wayward husband.

****

Tom Marvolo Riddle, better known as Lord Voldimort, sat comfortably in a plush leather captain's chair behind a desk made from beautiful carved mahogany. The study in which he and the desk were located was well appointed, the walls covered in cherry wood paneling.

One entire wall was taken up by a large bookshelf that held titles more magical than mundane.

There was a glass curio cabinet, seven feet tall and three wide. It was filled with miscellaneous awards and magical knick knacks. On the bottom shelf, as if to highlight the rest with the oddity of their presence, were a row of tall plastic cups. Each bore the portrait of a different individual, not all of whom were human. The cups also bore what appeared to be paired yellow arches and the label 'Star Wars'. Voldimort had no idea what they were about, figuring they were some disgusting muggle trash.

On the walls were several portraits of angry individuals, all staring at him with venom filled ire.

It only made sense, this wasn't Voldimort's study or house. The real owner's body was currently cooling in a flower bed out back, alongside his disgusting muggle wife. Voldimort would have placed the man's mud blood children beside them if the two weren't safely ensconced behind Hogwarts' protective walls.

They wouldn't be coming home for Christmas.

He was enjoying a glass of the house's finest brandy, one of the few things he felt the muggles could get right.

His solitude was interrupted by the opening of the study's single door. His snake familiar, Nagini, slithered its way through the door and across the floor towards the desk. Behind the giant serpent came the witch Bellatrix Lestrange. Careful not to step on the snake, she led three other figures into the room.

The first was a bear of a man, the Crabbe patriarch. He wasn't exceptionally tall but more than made up for it with his girth. It didn't hurt that he wore a perpetual scowl. He was like a pit bull who's brain had grown too big for its skull. Most Death Eaters were ready to kill on command. With Crabbe it was more a matter of holding him back. Voldimort could only guess how the rabid murderer managed to stay out of Azkaban during his absence.

The second was a tall man, with broad shoulders and powerful arms. His face always looked like he was waiting, the vacancy in his eyes saying he didn't know what for. He was the patriarch of the Goyle family and one of Voldimort's favorites. Unlike the bloodthirsty Crabbe or the arrogant and ambitious Malfoy, Goyle lived to serve, a useful trait.

The third man was neither great of height or broad of shoulder. His build, while not scrawny, did not speak of great strength. In fact he walked funny, as if something was wrong with his left hip, and Voldimort knew that vigorous exercise or physical effort caused the man great pain. His face was pockmarked by childhood acne, gaunt and sallow. His name was Ezekiel and he was related to another of Voldimort's followers, Parkinson's wife Patricia. They weren't on speaking terms. The one thing about Ezekiel that was intimidating were his eyes, they were as cold and lifeless as Nagini's own.

It was easy to see the others were not happy with his presence. Crabbe, and thus Goyle, found it an insult to their own ability. Something Crabbe was all to quick to point out.

"We can deal with this barbarian rabble my lord." Crabbe's voice was gruff and scratchy, hard to hear. It was the result of an injury to his vocal cords, one Voldimort knew the man was himself responsible for. Like his son's, Crabbe's voice had been high pitched for his size, not appropriate for someone of his stature and size. So he took steps to 'fix' it. His current growl he felt was far more fitting.

"Give Goyle and I a chance, we will lay this foreign scum before you." His pug face twisted into a leer that though lacking Bellatrix's madness, was far more malevolent. "We can even bring them back for your pleasure, if you wish it."

Voldimort didn't correct the man about his own taste in 'pleasures', Crabbe's appetites are what made him so usable.

"I am here to serve, my lord." Broke in a clear tenor. Hearing that melodious and pure voice coming from Ezekiel's lips was perhaps more intimidating than Crabbe's rasping threats. It was just wrong that such beauty could come from something so rough and ugly.

"And serve you shall, all of you, as I see fit." Like Ezekiel, Voldimort's voice didn't belong with his inhuman face.

The dark lord sipped at his glass, slited eyes measuring the men before him, judging their worth.

"Crabbe, Goyle, you have your chance to prove yourselves. I give you until the New Year to eliminate these hedge wizards from the East. Do it as you see fit, but make sure there is no doubt it was done at my will. I want everyone to know what happens to those who stand in my way. Crabbe..."

"Yes my lord."

"You are given leave to...enjoy yourself."

When he saw the lust grow in the bullish man's eyes, Voldimort felt the need to make one thing clear. "Do not allow your...hunger to interfere. If you fail I will place you alongside Lucious. There is no room for the weak at my side."

The leer and some of the blood left Crabbe's face. The Dark Lord did not make idol threats.

"You can count on us my Lord. After we are finished no one will doubt our strength."

Voldimort leaned back in his chair, dismissing them with a wave.

"Then go and do not fail me. Bellatrix, Ezekiel abide with me, there is other business that awaits our attention."

Crabbe didn't want to leave, he didn't like leaving the little man at his back. He especially didn't like him staying with the Dark Lord, working toward an unknown purpose. Ezekiel hadn't even been a Death Eater twelve years ago, he didn't deserve to stand at his side. The glory belonged to those who had stood the crusade from the beginning. Not daring to argue, he left the room, the silent Goyle treading on his heels.

Once they were gone, Voldimort turned to the two who remained.

Bellatrix was anxious to serve and it showed, shinning in her eyes alongside the madness.

Ezekiel was cold and indifferent. Voldimort knew that the only time the twisted little man showed emotion was when he was _playing_ with the children. Like Voldimort he was a true sociopath. The Dark Lord didn't care what the man did with muggle children, once they finished seizing power he could even have the mud bloods.

"It is time we turn our eyes to the ministry. Soon we will emerge from the shadows."

****

After changing into his Chinese tang, Ranma left his and Akane's rooms and made his way through the old castle. His unfamiliar clothing drew the attention of the students he passed, the memory of his demonstration and the stories of his duel with the Malfoy heir kept it focused on him. Since that day in the arena he was getting a lot of it, most of it positive.

Except for the members of house Slytherin.

The older members of the house that had the option chose to boycott their class since the incident with Draco. The younger members came because they had to, but they made an effort _not_ to learn anything.

Right now, here at Hogwarts, Ranma found their attention a prize to be treasured. Not because of what it was, but because of what it meant. He and by extension his art, had won the respect of the students. Even House Slytherin, the fact they were putting an effort into avoiding him instead of attacking showed their fear which was just another form of respect.

Now all he needed to do was win the respect of the other professors, something he doubted he could do without facing one of them in combat. That, he knew, wasn't likely to happen. Not if he didn't want to get Akane and himself tossed out on their ears.

He paused mid stride, 'I wonder where this Voldemort is? Yea, that would do it.'

He didn't know anything about him, but as scared as everyone seemed to be of this faceless boogeyman beating him should win the respect of every witch and wizard in England. Look what it did for that Potter kid and he only managed to survive.

After the demonstration he had overheard a few of the younger students debating his skills against this Potter's. He wondered if Potter would be interested in sparing. It would be his first real chance to try his art against theirs.

By the time he reached the Whomping Willow his steps were lighter, thoughts of the fight with Akane lost behind the excitement he felt planning the strategies he would use against Potter. He just hoped the kid would be willing and that he wasn't overrated.

The Willow started swinging its branches as soon has he entered its reach, but this time he was expecting it and when it drew its first branch back, Ranma was riding atop it. He lost himself dancing among its branches. It wasn't as good as fighting Pantyhose Taro, in spite of its strength the tree lacked the Chinese boy's skill and mobility. Also, striking wood just wasn't as satisfying as hitting Taro. It was all he had, he would have to make due. At least by limiting himself to remain within its branches he was able to make it a workout and a little challenging.

****

Hagrid was the one to find Ranma. Telling the pig tailed boy that Akane was looking for him and that she said it was important, he was surprised that the boy who was so anxious to see her the last time they were here at this tree, seemed rather reluctant to now.

"Er' Now," he said. "what's eatin at ya?"

Ranma didn't understand what the giant meant, instead giving himself a quick inspection for ticks.

"Is there something on my skin? A bug of some sort."

"No, no." Hagrid waved his arms, dismissing the smaller fellows concerns. "That's not what I mean...What's wrong? Ya look like there's something botherin you. If ya need, I have a friendly ear."

Ranma looked pensive and Hagrid knew that whatever was bothering him, he wasn't comfortable speaking about it.

"Ranma, sometimes it helps to talk about what's botherin ya. Ya know, with your mates."

"Mates?" Ranma questioned, looking first confused then alarmed. "No! There aren't any...I mean, I'm only married to Akane. The others are just..."

Hagrid cut him off, not really understanding what the boy meant but realizing he was confused by his choice of terms.

"Not yer wife. I mean yer friends, people you trust."

"Trust." Ranma found the concept laughable. "Most of my friends would take my words as an advantage, an opportunity to come between Akane and me. As for the rest, while...their kinda perverts. All they ever want to know is if...how far we've gone, or if we've...you know, done it as girls or something. It would be too embarrassing to tell them."

Now it was Hagrid's turn to be confused.

"Perverts! That must've been hard...what, with yer curse and all."

"Yea, well, let's just say the boy's showers aren't one of my favorite places and leave it at that." While saying that, Ranma crossed his arms over his chest, subconsciously covering something that wasn't there.

Hagrid wasn't the brightest of wizards, but he knew teenagers and he easily read between the lines. 'Dumbledore will be wantin to know about this.'

Out loud he said "I can't say for yer friends, but I won't betray yer confidence. What ever you say ta me stays between us. I promise."

Ranma was touched by the giant's sincerity. He just wasn't sure what to do with it.

"Akane's made cause I did something...nothing bad, I mean...she just doesn't understand."

"So why don't ya explain it to her? If'n she understood she wouldn't be angry. At least if ya did nothing bad that is."

"I can't, you see..." Ranma dropped his arms, recognizing his having crossed them as a defensive gesture. Clasping his hands behind his back, his spine stiff and his head held up, he continued in a voice of conviction. "A real man, a martial artist doesn't show weakness. He isn't controlled by his emotions."

Hagrid stared at the marionette beside him in disbelief.

"Where'd ya get that rubbish. What would yer father say?"

The look Ranma gave him in return wasn't one of his more diplomatic. It said 'what, are you stupid'.

"He would say; a real man doesn't show..."

Hagrid waved his explanation off. He was starting to understand the boy's problem and where it came from.

"Then what of yer mom? Surely she would have something different to say."

Ranma bowed in shame. "I don't really know. See, dad took me on a training trip when I was little."

The height he held his hand above the ground let Hagrid know just how little he was at the time.

"I didn't know her until two years ago. I...she's harder to talk to then Akane."

Hagrid put his massive hand on the smaller man's shoulder in a gesture of comfort and support.

"Ranma, trust me when I say a real man ain't afraid of his feelings. Nor of confiding them to those he loves."

Ranma looked up a little timidly, still a child when it came to expressing himself.

"But pops says..."

Again, Hagrid cut him off.

"Ranma. I don't rightly know yer father and I don't mean to upset ya, but...Ranma, it sounds to me like yer father is an idiot."

Hagrid cringed, expecting the boy to become defensive. He was surprised when instead his response was a look of 'well, duh'.

"Well, yea. Everyone knows pops isn't too smart, but..." He didn't know how to continue without sounding weak.

Hagrid tightened his grip on Ranma's shoulder, pulling him to a stop.

"Ranma, I'm gonna give ya some advice because I'm yer friend and that's what friends do for each other. Now, I'm not a pervert and I would never try to hurt ya, so listen ta what I tell ya. Ranma, yer married now. Akane is yer wife and that means...it means that what yer a feelin ain't just yours anymore. If'n it affects you, then it affects her too. If ya try to keep her out yer just gonna hurt her. Do ya understand what I'm sayin?"

The pig tailed boy looked up at him with big eyes, just like the small child he appeared to be standing next to the half giant.

"I...a...no."

Hagrid brought his other hand up to his forehead, feeling a tension headache coming on. How could the boy be so frustratingly naive?

"Ranma, tell her what ya feel. If ya don't...if ya don't she might one day leave ya."

Ranma didn't really understand the big man's warning, but he did understand the threat implied. Knew it intimately.

****

Next chapter: Ranma Exposed

Author's Notes:

I am discovering a deficiency in my writing, namely people not understanding what I am trying to convey. It's a classic example of what I think is obvious, isn't. Most of the time it seems to happen when I'm trying to make a joke. Apparently I don't do humor very well.

For the record; I am not trying to make Ranma accept or become a girl. The acceptance part of his story is recognizing that the others still accept him when he becomes a girl. The only feminizing on Ranma's part will be that once he no longer feels he has to prove he is a man even when he's a girl, he'll stop trying to by acting macho. In the manga the insensitive jerk didn't appear until the entire Tendo family acted to reject him.

Little details like the unicorn wand are supposed to be funny because he isn't a girl. Rather like when an unwitting Nodoka complimented 'Ranko' by telling her she would make someone a wonderful wife one day.

Nodoka dresses 'Ranko' up as a girl for two reasons; One, a traditional woman like herself won't accept what others see as her daughter behaving in a fashion that is embarrassing and unacceptable in the eyes of society. Two, because as she told Kasumi "she makes the cutest faces." Nodoka (and I) find it funny. Ranma does what she tells him because he still fears disappointing her. Her efforts to help him accept his curse are not about her creating a daughter, but about her trying to help him become comfortable with himself. If he found a cure (which he won't, that's like werewolves eating wolf's bane and being cured, not much of a curse) she would be happy with him, even if a part of her might miss playing dress up.

Any actual differences in Ranma and 'Ranko' are purely physical, including the whole girls and chocolate thing. Any psychological differences are based on Ranma's belief that the rules are different for girls. His "guys don't eat ice cream" thing. Sometimes this mental loop hole will allow him to do things he wouldn't be able to otherwise, like accepting intimacy or expressing his emotions. It isn't intended to make 'Ranko' a separate person, it's just one of his hang ups care of Genma's training.

Regarding the curse and Ranma using a wand:

The curse does affect his use of magic, same as it would for any of the other curse victims. I can't imagine a person having that much magic tied to them without it bleeding over. Remember the unicorn wand was intended to be funny, not important to the story.

Ranma's real difficulty with using a wand is based on his being conditioned to see magic in only one way and this isn't it. If he wasn't so indoctrinated in the martial arts he wouldn't be having these problems, might even prove to be just as good with a wand as he is in the art.

Nadrek pointed out to me how ludicrous it would be to invite the Saotomes to the school to teach combat, a school were any physical injury can be healed almost instantly, and then get on their case about hurting their students. I agree, it is ludicrous. It is also based on two real world facts. The first is that most of the other professors don't take them or their class seriously. The second is that while it is perfectly acceptable for a student to be injured in the course of training, it is not acceptable if the injury comes from the hand of a teacher. High school football players get injured while training all the time, it's just part of the game, but if that bruise came from the hands of a teacher then lawyers get involved. It doesn't help any that there are individuals like Snape who are looking for any excuse to get rid of them.

Daniel Stack asked me to provide a back story for Newt calling Ranma "momma". Newt is a two year old with a nursing baby brother. She associates breasts with nursing, so when she calls Ranma momma it isn't because she thinks he is her mother. It's more the two year old equivalent of giggling and saying "boobies". Ranma's embarrassment was intended to be funny.

Jewel, thanks for filling my review list, it's nice to feel appreciated. I hope I managed to answer the concern you and others have expressed about my handling of Ranma-Chan, now I'll try to deal with some others you listed.

A central theme of this story is the separation and differences between the East and West. Dumbledore and the others don't already know about Jusenkyo because they have ignored the magic of China and the East. Only the few who spent time in far off Hong Kong have any interest or clue about that half of the world.

As far as Ranma and the Tendo sisters not receiving letters inviting them to attend a school of witchcraft and wizardry, I was under the impression that Hogwarts catered to the commonwealth of which only Hong Kong is part. The reason they didn't receive a letter from the Japanese equivalent is because in my world the school of Anything Goes martial arts is the Japanese equivalent.

Normally Akane wouldn't be the kind of person to put things off until the first day of school. She returned to Nerima for the sign. If I was writing this again I would mention Soun calling Watford to tell her it was ready. He prepared it at the last minute because he spent the summer away on his own training trip ( viva Las Vegas ).

If you see something you don't understand or agree with, tell me. If possible I will provide an explanation but more importantly, I'll take what you say and try to improve my writing.


	12. Chapter 12 Ranma Exposed

Chapter 12: Ranma Exposed

Saying goodbye to Hagrid, Ranma entered the castle while the giant returned to his hut. While playing with the tree, his thoughts occupied with possible strategies he could use when dueling a western wizard, Ranma had temporarily forgotten Akane was mad at him. Now every step back to their rooms seemed to echo like drumbeats as he marched to his fate.

He had no experience with married couples, his own parents having lived apart for as long as he could remember and Mr. Tendo being a widower.

When he was little and playing with his friend Ucchan, he ( scowl, she ) had been working with her father. He didn't even know if she had a mother. At the time he didn't even know if he had a mother.

Ryouga still had both parents and while attending school together Ranma had occasion to meet both, but never together. The Lost Boy inherited the Habiki family curse from his father and the one time Ranma met the family patriarch was outside Hokkaido. The senior Habiki was asking directions to Tokyo.

He was pretty sure that Hiroshi and Daisuke's parents were still together, but he only saw those friends at school and it wasn't cool for teenage boys to talk about their parents.

He didn't know if Hagrid was married, if he was his wife didn't live at the school, but Ranma figured the gentle giant had to know more about it then he did.

How could he not.

He was willing to listen to the big man's advice, he just didn't know what to do with it.

Entering his and Akane's suite he was so distracted by his turbulent thoughts that he didn't notice Akane's alarm spell being triggered. He was relieved to discover she wasn't in, probably still out looking for him, glad to put off their inevitable confrontation for a little longer.

He was however annoyed when he found the message on the mirror.

"Ranma, stay." He muttered under his breath after reading it. Now she was treating him like a dog too.

****

As soon as her alarm spell was triggered Akane went running for the rooms she shared with her husband. She had to get to him before anything could happen.

She wasn't worried about the straw headed jerk somehow hurting Ranma, he was way out of his league. She also wasn't worried about Ranma's curse being exposed, it was going to happen eventually anyway. No, what worried her was the thought of what the pig tailed boy ( or more likely girl at that point ) would do to the annoying pratt when it happened.

She held no doubts that they wouldn't be on their way back to Nerima five minutes after the first blow. Snape would see to that, with McGonagall holding the door.

She had to make sure Ranma was ready, least the baka do something problematic in the surprise of the moment. She just hoped he didn't do anything stupid, like leaving their suite, before she arrived.

She was right to worry.

Upset over their argument and frustrated by his inability to tell her how he felt, Ranma was pacing in the hall outside their door. If he had any reason to believe her warning was anything other then her being angry, if for example he thought it was a warning of danger, he would never have stayed put. Instead he would have been running the halls searching for her. It was a good thing he was too distracted to remember what they had learned of Voldemort. Still, he had just about made up his mind to go find her when Akane came around the corner at a quick jog.

A look of annoyance flashed across her face as she saw him in the hall.

"Baka, I told you to wait inside."

He scowled. "Why Akane, so you can yell at me some more?"

Giving him an annoyed huff, she opened the door to enter. "Come on Ranma."

"I have a better idea." He said over his shoulder, his voice tight with anger as he walked away.

"Ranma!" She yelled at his back in frustration, but he continued walking.

"They know about the curse!"

Ranma had intended to keep walking, he needed time to cool down before he said something he would really regret, but mention of his curse sent a sliver of ice through his chest. The heat of anger was gone.

"Who knows?"

His anger was forgotten, lost in a wave of embarrassment for things to come. He really hated dealing with the exposure of his curse.

"Hermoine told me that Professor Snape taught a lesson on Jusenkyo."

Ranma felt a brief surge of hope. If Snape hadn't told them then maybe no one would make the connection. That's how it was at Furinkan, no one realized both Ranmas were the same person until it was demonstrated to them. It wasn't something that normally occurred to people. True, the students here are more familiar with the idea that the impossible is possible, but if no one clued them in it might never cross their minds to consider it.

"Maybe no one will realize, it's not something people expect to run into and you know how easily people ignore what they shouldn't see."

He knew it was a pipe dream, the curse always found a way to come out, but he wanted so badly to get through the year without being treated like a freak.

Akane shook her head sadly. Like Hermoine she hated being the bearer of bad news, especially after their recent argument. Things had been so much better here.

"I don't think so Ranma. This isn't Furinkan, the students here expect to see magic. Remember, they even have a potion that duplicates the effects of Jusenkyo, they won't find it hard to see the possibilities."

His mind was racing, desperately seeking a way out.

"I'll just have to be careful, not give them a chance to suspect."

Another shake of the head.

"Hermoine already figured it out.""Yea, but Hermoine is really smart...the rest..."

"I'm sorry Ranma, but Hermoine...she is pretty sure Draco Malfoy knows."

"Draco...isn't he that jerk with the blonde hair? You know, the one I put down in class."

Akane nodded. "Yes, and I'm pretty sure he wants revenge. Did you have to embarrass him in front of the other students?"

The worried look on Ranma's face was replaced with his usual overconfident smirk.

"How could I not? The jerk was totally outclassed. At least I won't have to worry about him, what can he do? He doesn't have the skill to hurt me."

Akane sighed with fond exasperation. How he could be so annoying and endearing at the same time was beyond her.

"He doesn't have to be able to hurt you baka. Remember how Snape reacted, all he needs is an excuse and he'll get us kicked out of Hogwarts. Please Ranma, I really want to graduate."

The smirk hadn't dimmed any.

"Relax Akane, I can handle the punk without hurting him. He won't even lay a hand on me. Trust me."

She tried not to join his mirth. It wasn't easy, she was finding that his confidence could prove contagious when it didn't make her mad. Then a thought crossed her mind, a memory really, and she lost it.

Ranma stared at her in confusion as she was bent over from giggling, tears running down her cheeks. He didn't know if she was laughing with him, or at him.

"Hey Akane, uh...what's so funny?" He wasn't sure he wanted to know.

Akane tried to reign in her laughter, she had graduated from giggles to full out guffaws. She tried to answer, he really needed to be reminded of what could happen but thinking about it now she couldn't help herself. Still, she tried hard and eventually managed to squeak out one word. "Mariko..." Her voice was low and he could barely make the word out...not that it mattered, he was drawing a total blank.

The vacant look in his eyes drove Akane to laugh even harder and it was several minutes before she started to calm down again.

"Um...Akane, Mariko?"

That did it, any control she had gained disappeared in the face of his confusion. Shaking with laughter, she managed to strike a pose. One leg raised, foot behind the other knee and arms held up and out, she wheezed out "Go team..." Then lost it completely, almost ending up on the floor.

Ranma stared at the quivering mass that was Akane, his mind struggling to make sense of her actions, then his face turned bright red as he remembered where he knew the name Mariko from. She was that martial arts cheerleader that fell in love with Kuno. Shivers of horror raced down his back as he remembered the ill fated cheerleading challenge he had engaged the girl in. While she cheered for Kuno in the kendo tournament, he unknowingly cheered on Akane. It was when his curse was first openly exposed to the students at Furinkan. He nearly gagged on the resurgence of the humiliation he had felt when he was suddenly a guy, wearing that skimpy little cheerleading outfit in front of the entire student body.

He realized that Draco wouldn't have to hurt him, that he probably wouldn't try to. Instead the sneaky little git would seek to use his curse to humiliate him. That would hurt worse than any blow or hex ever could.

The smirk was now a distant memory.

"I'll just have to keep my guard up. Yeah, that's it. I'll just make sure he never gets a chance. I mean, it's not like I'll ever be wearing that...outfit..." The word came out, voice filled with disgust. "again. Besides even if he did manage to get me, I'll just use the Umi-Sen-Ken to disappear before anyone can see me."

He did his best to put on a brave front and seeing the effort stifled Akane's laughter, allowing her to calm down.

"Don't worry Akane. I've got this covered."

She really did hope so.

****

For the rest of the evening and several days to follow Ranma walked around in a haze of paranoia. Skittish, he was jumping at every sound, seeing water everywhere. When he found himself panting and covered in sweat at the top of the bell tower, he was relieved to realize it had only been Filch's cat, Miss Norris. Sitting in on classes, he couldn't concentrate. Even in their own class, Akane found she was now having to bare more than her share of the burden. At meal times he kept staring at both Snape and Draco, wishing for once that looks could kill. The unsightly pair responded to his scowls with self satisfied smirks, like they shared a secret.

He quickly got so bad that Akane totally forgot their argument and believed he had too, until she learned otherwise that first night back to Hogwarts.

As was her usual habit, she left him waiting in their sitting room while she changed into her yellow pajamas.

She had gotten used to ignoring the little black box Nabiki gave her.

Climbing under the covers, she waited for Ranma Chan to join her, and waited and waited...After several minutes of Ranma being a no show, she left their bed and went to find out what was taking him so long. She entered the sitting room just in time to see him doing the same through the door opposite hers, carrying a rolled up practice mat under his arm.

Giving her an uneasy smile, he flipped it out laying it flat on the sitting room floor.

"I got this idea, it's not all that different from a futon and much better than that couch. Now I can sleep out here since...well, since you...you know."

Akane was disappointed and a little afraid, it was like they were back to the way things were in Nerima. Dealing with her emotions in the usual way, she got angry.

"Fine, suit yourself Ranma." Closing the door between them, she returned to the bed alone.

She didn't dream of Kouryuu or her mother that night, she hardly slept and from the look of him the next morning Ranma had slept even less.

This went on for several nights and the lack of sleep was making him even more surely and paranoid then Draco's threat warranted. Not only the teachers but the students were starting to notice.

****

It was Wednesday night and Ranma and Akane were in the library working with their tutors. Akane was seated with Hermoine while her husband was at another table with Gerald.

Hermoine couldn't help but notice how distracted Akane was from her studies and from the frustrated way Gerald kept running his fingers through his hair, she could guess Ranma was doing no better. They both showed signs of fatigue with dark bags under their eyes. It was, she felt, far worse than she expected from them given Draco's threat to expose Ranma's curse. No, something more was going on here, she could feel it.

"Akane...Akane." It took several tries before the Asian girl's half lidded eyes turned towards her.

"Huh?"

"Akane, what's wrong? Neither you nor Ranma look like you have slept in days. Surely you're not that worried about Draco? You know I doubt he will try anything while you sleep. He wants to get revenge where everyone can see."

Akane blinked her eyes several times, struggling up from the depths of half sleep.

"Huh? Oh, no. It's not that."

Like most people, especially the Japanese with their fixation on keeping face, Akane wasn't comfortable airing her laundry in public. She did feel the need to talk about it though and Hermoine was proving to be a good friend. She was already keeping their biggest secrets. She decided to place greater trust in the curly haired girl.

She glanced over at the snoozing Ranma as she spoke.

"Remember the argument I told you I had with Ranma?"

"You mean the one involving his not sleeping when...you weren't together?" Hermoine blushed at the reminder that her friend didn't sleep alone, causing Akane to blush in turn.

"Yeah, that...With your warning about Snape and Draco, I thought it was forgotten but Ranma hasn't..." Blush spreading down her neck, Akane hunched her shoulders in embarrassment, her chin nearly resting against her sternum. As she went on her voice was so low Hermoine had to struggle to make out the words.

"He hasn't been...you know, sharing..." She struggled to say it, embarrassed to talk about her marriage with the unwed teenage girl.

Hermoine reached over to hold her hand where it lay upon the table. Not saying anything, she offered silent support and encouragement to her new friend.

It wasn't much, but it was enough.

"We haven't been sleeping together, in the same bed I mean."

Another look towards the pig tailed boy, watching Gerald shake him in an attempt to lift his face from its resting place in the crease of his potions text.

"He's been sleeping on the floor of our front room." She scowled. "Well, not exactly sleeping. He's been doing most of that in class. At night I hear him tossing and pacing at all hours of the night. I'm sure I know what is wrong...if the baka would just talk to me."

Hermoine reached out, turning the other girl's head back towards her so she could look her in her bloodshot eyes.

"You don't look like you have been sleeping either Akane. If this has you both so upset, then I think it would be best if you dealt with it sooner than later. Akane, I know you want Ranma to come to you, but if he isn't going to do it then one of you has to be the adult in this relationship. My mother always told me that a victory that ends in a broken relationship is a pyrrhic victory at best. If you want your marriage to work, you will have to be the one to make it so."

Her thoughts briefly turned to a certain red head and his opinions.

"I'm beginning to realize that boys are bleeding idiots when it comes to the fairer sex."

Hermoine blushed, slightly embarrassed at her own cursing. It wasn't something she did often but that Weasly boy was pushing her to the edge. She felt a little hypocritical giving relationship advice to Akane when her own was in such bad shape. At least Akane knew Ranma loved her.

As for Akane, she was quietly watching Ranma sleeping face down in his book. Giving up in disgust, Gerald gathered his books and left.

****

All through the evening meal Akane kept making sidelong glances towards her spouse, working to develop a strategy and the courage to confront him. After dinner they made their way to their room, neither willing to break the shroud of silence that enveloped them.

When they reached their rooms, Akane proceeded to get ready for bed, heart racing as she contemplated the conversation she was definitely going to have with her spouse.

Ranma was leaving the bathing room in tank top and boxers intending to make his way to his makeshift bed, instead his way was blocked by a pajama wearing Akane. She stood with her feet shoulder width apart, arms folded beneath her breast, spine straight, shoulders back and chin up. He knew he was in trouble.

"Ranma" Her voice was sure and forceful, while her heart was racing with fear and doubt. "We are going to talk about this and we are going to talk about it now."

Ranma gulped nervously, he felt like a bug under a magnifying glass, the heat rising, a rivulet of sweat racing down his spine.

"Akane, I...look, can't this wait until tomorrow? I'm really tired and..."

"Of course you're tired!" She cut off his excuse. Placing her hands on his chest, she pushed him back into the bathing room. Following, she closed the door behind them, trapping him with her in the tile floored room. "You haven't slept since you...since you left our bed." She finished in little more than a whisper. "I've had it Ranma. This isn't Nerima and I refuse to play games of 'if' and 'maybe' with you anymore. Either we deal with this now like man and wife...or we...or we end this farce once and for all."

Ranma paled, it was happening just like Hagrid said, she was going to leave him. His hands began to tremble, his heart beat growing erratic as it became difficult to breath past the knot that was forming in his chest. She was going to leave him and he felt like there was nothing he could do to prevent it, just like Jusendo.

He refused to give up on that mountain and he decided that there was no way he was going to let her go now.

"Akane, I..." He struggled to talk, Akane watching with held breath.

He choked on his words, unable to speak as he was now. Turning from her, one quick step took him to the bathroom sink where he splashed cold water on his face, the feel of wet settling his nerves as his curse changed the conditions of the battlefield.

When he first turned away Akane felt her heart crumble, convinced he was letting her go. When instead he moved to the sink and cold water she felt her heart lurch in her chest. She was disappointed that he felt he had to be a girl to open up to her, and gratified as she realized his actions meant he honestly intended to try.

Leaning on the porcelain sink, head bowed and bangs covering her eyes, Ranma-Chan watched Akane in the mirror. The constant fear and fatigue combined to tear away her defenses, leaving her emotions bare and vulnerable.

"I...I don't want you to go." She whispered.

Akane's heart raced, the rush of blood spreading heat throughout her body. "Then don't let me." She whispered back. "Don't push me away anymore."

Ranma leaned heavily upon the sink as the strength flushed out of her body, leaving her feeling weaker than she did when Happi hit her with the moxibustion weakness point.

She hated feeling this way.

Akane saw the resistance wash out of her spouse, disappearing as if down the sinks drain. Ranma was trembling as if she lacked the strength to stand, as if her emotions were a burden too great to bare. Stepping close, Akane put a comforting hand on her spouse's arm, offering her support.

"Ranma, I'm not fragile, you don't need to protect me." There it was, the real reason she believed Ranma wasn't sleeping. She was sure he had been sneaking into her room to stand guard over her while she slept. She was wrong.

Ranma shook her head, trying to break free of the cloying fear that held her tight in its suffocating grip. "It's...Jusendo...I..." She couldn't finish, sobs threatening to break loose if she let up for even a moment. She was so tired, emotionally exhausted.

Akane stepped even closer, wrapping her right arm about Ranma, a hand on each shoulder as if to hold her up.

"Ranma, it's okay. You've been training me and with what I've learned here, I'm a lot stronger than I was then. You don't have to worry so much."

Ranma-Chan shook her head again, this time as if to deny what Akane was saying.

"I...know that now...when I'm...when I'm awake, but when I..." The first choking sob escaped. "At night I...your eyes...I watch them close and I..." She lost control, leaning into Akane, exhausted and emotionally broken. Haunted by the memory of Akane's doll eyes closing in death.

The former Tendo held the smaller girl tight against her bosom, the red haired head resting against her breast so that the beating of Akane's heart resounded comfortingly in her ear.

She had been wrong. All this time she thought Ranma was obsessed with protecting her, that he would never be able to see her as an equal partner. Now she knew that though he would still seek to protect her, it wasn't his superior skill and strength that drove him from his rest at night. It was his fear. The fear that somehow she wouldn't be there. That is why he only slept when they were together, why every morning she had woken to find Ranma-Chan snuggled tight against her. Every touch of her flesh, the feel of her breath blowing across sensitive skin, the sound of her heart beating in her chest, all of these reassured Ranma that Akane was still alive. That he hadn't lost her.

Using her right arm Akane held Ranma tight against her. With her left hand she stroked her hair. Her lips raining light kisses down upon her head as she whispered soft words of comfort. Akane held her, waiting not only for her sobbing to stop, but the shuddering shakes as well. When at last Ranma was still, Akane placed her left hand under her cheek and chin, raising her face until she could see her eyes, red and puffy from crying. She paused for a moment, wishing he could open up to her without first turning into a girl.

"Ranma" She said once she was sure she had the red head's attention. "Tonight I am going to sleep with my husband and I won't listen to any arguments, do you understand?"

When Ranma didn't reply, trying instead to avert her eyes in shame, Akane gently but forcefully turned her head again. "Ranma, you will not deny me. Do you understand?"

She held that pose until at last Ranma-Chan gave a small nod, signaling the end of her resistance.

Smiling, Akane reached around her to the sink where she turned on the hot water. Ranma looked at her in confusion, too mentally tired to interpret the larger girl's intent.

"With my husband Ranma." She repeated in a low voice. Stepping away she added "Don't keep me waiting." Then opening the door, stepped through to the bedroom leaving it open behind her.

Once through the door she paused before the vanity table, hand resting above one of its many drawers, thoughts on the little black box within.

'No,' she thought to herself, 'Ranma isn't ready for that.' but she was beginning to think that maybe she was.

When Ranma came into the bedroom, face freshly scrubbed and the black hair of his bangs slightly damp, the only illumination in the room came from the lowly flickering embers of the fire.

"Ranma" Akane called him from where she waited in their bed, covers pulled back giving him a dim view of her yellow clad form. As he made his way to her side Ranma was glad the darkness helped hide the weakness and nervousness in his eyes, written upon his face and in his tentative motions. When he drew close enough, she took hold of his arm, pulling him into the bed beside her. Once she had him there, she lay her head upon his shoulder, her arm thrown across his chest, an unseen smile on her lips.

Akane didn't remember falling asleep, only realized she had when she woke up during the night to find her back held tight against his hard stomach, his arms wrapped tight about her. His presence enveloped her, leaving her feeling safe and loved within the cocoon of his embrace. He was purring. It was deeper, rougher than when he did it in his girl form, but she found it comforting all the same. Relaxing back into him, she let the soothing sound lull her back to sleep.

****

Akane awoke in the morning to the sound of her alarm clock ringing in one ear, and the warm thrum of Ranma's heart beat in the other. During the night they had shifted positions. Now Ranma was lying on his back, while she was lying on top of him. His tank top had worked its way up during the night so that now her cheek was resting on warm, bare skin.

Reaching out she killed the alarm, surprised that Ranma never so much as twitched when she moved, his breathing still regular and deep with sleep. Looking at his face he seemed so peaceful, more relaxed then she ever remembered seeing him before.

As she became more aware, she heard the sound of rain beating against the thick glass of their bedroom window. Looking towards the source of faint sun light, she could see the drops beating against the glass. Thinking of jogging in the rain, she looked at Ranma's face again. She decided jogging could wait, right now she wanted to spend more time with her husband. Pushing his tank top to the side and out of the way, she lay her head down upon his hard chest. Closing her eyes, she let the sound of his heartbeat lull her back to sleep.

****

Eventually Ranma and Akane both woke up. There was some awkwardness but it quickly passed. Akane was careful not to mention Ranma's breakdown the night before, she didn't want him to close her out again.

The training mat went back to the dojo and Ranma returned to their bed. They returned to the comfortable closeness they had enjoyed before their return from London. The only difference was that now when Akane woke snuggled up next to Ranma, it was her small body being held against his larger form.

In the days that followed the rain turned to snow, they didn't get much snow in Tokyo and the Saotomes were like children again. For the first time in days Ranma-Chan made an appearance. Fearing discovery now that the other students had a reason to wonder, they had been very careful to keep Ranma away from sources of cold water. Caution was thrown to the wind when they came outside for their morning jog and discovered unsullied sheets of white spread over the courtyard. It started with a snowball fight but all too soon there were two girls wrestling in the snow.

Finally tiring, they stealthily made their way back to their rooms. Fortunately few students were out and about this early in the morning, allowing them to return unseen.

Ever since Hermoine's warning Ranma had kept a vigilant watch for signs of Draco's revenge, Akane watching his back, but nothing happened. In fact it soon became clear that Malfoy and his Slytherin cronies were actively avoiding them. At meal times Draco was still giving them that knowing smirk whenever their eyes met his, but nothing more. Even Akane was starting to wonder if Hermoine was wrong about the blonde knowing about Ranma's curse. Hermoine herself couldn't explain it, only warning them that if Draco was exercising restraint then they had even more reason to be wary.

For the Saotomes the month of October was shaping up to be one of their best yet, at least until the first Saturday when students were allowed to go to Hogsmead, until the attack on Katie Bell.

****

The Saotomes weren't there when Katie was stricken, they chose not to go to Hogsmead that day having been there before and not wishing to fight the crowds of students. Instead they were at the castle with Cho. Miss Chang, having gained access to the schools kitchens, had invited them to join her for a traditional Chinese meal prepared by her own hands. She called it a cultural exchange. Akane was just grateful it wasn't Ramen. Ranma was hoping Akane didn't decide to return the favor.

Akane had mixed feelings about spending extra time with the Chinese girl, Amazon or not, jealous of the attention the girl paid to her husband. Her ambivalence didn't last long though, Cho was just as anxious to speak with her as she was with Ranma. Akane realized that Cho wasn't looking for a boyfriend, but for friends period. It was like she was starving for social interaction. The meal was long finished and they had spent more than two hours talking about their homes and families, everything _but_ magic and Hogwarts, when Lint arrived to tell the Saotomes that they were being summoned along with the rest of the staff to the teacher's lounge.

Entering the lounge Ranma and Akane found nearly every professor in attendance. There was a palpable tension in the air.

The giant Hagrid was sitting on an oversized chair near the fireplace, he was clearly upset, almost moved to tears even. Flitwick was standing on a chair next to him, hand resting on the big man's arm in a gesture of comfort. It was as high as the little fellow could reach.

Sybill Trelawney, the divinations professor was sitting beside Pomona Sprout, professor of herbology. It sounded like she was saying 'I told you so', not that anybody was listening. Akane had taken to avoiding the flaky woman in the oversized glasses since the first time they met. Akane had gone to say hello, hand extended as is English custom, when the strange lady grasped her hand in a death grip. Her eyes, magnified by her lenses, stared off into space. Her voice, echoing like it was coming from a sepulcher, intoned a warning. "Beware, the shadow men who walk in between." Then she blinked, smiled and went on to greet her like nothing untoward had happened. Hermoine told her that Trelawney predicted death and gloom for some poor student every year, no one took her seriously.

Horace Slughorn was standing alone by the snack table, a luxury both he and Ranma appreciated in equal measure, nervously wolfing down pastries. Occasionally washing them down with sips from a small flask he carried in a pocket inside the liner of his jacket. Everyone in the room radiated upset and concern, but Horace stank of fear. Ranma could smell the sickly sweet smell from clear across the room and wondered what the fat man was afraid of.

Deputy Headmaster McGonagall, Professor Snape and Madam Pomfrey ( who they were getting to know fairly well, along with their more ardent students ) were not present. Nor was Headmaster Dumbledore.

There was someone there they had never met before, a man they were sure wasn't a member of the school's staff. Around six feet tall, with a hard face, cold eyes and stiff gray hair in a severe cut, he watched the others in the room like a wolfhound surveying sheep. His long brown coat and still wet boots clued them in that he had only recently been outside in the snow. He didn't move like an artist, but the way he held himself let it be known that he was no stranger to conflict and violence. Ranma wondered if he would be interested in sparing. After all, if he wasn't a professor than it wouldn't be seen as a division in the school's staff. He was just about to go ask him when McGonagall and Snape entered the room behind them. The pair had gotten no more than a few steps into the lounge when the strange man confronted them.

"Professor McGonagall, where is Albus Dumbledore?" His tone was hostile, anger simmering underneath.

McGonagall paused to give the man her most disapproving stare, something that didn't faze him in the least. It did make Ranma shudder though he couldn't explain why, just that something about the way she did it was disturbingly familiar.

"Mr. Dawlish, Headmaster Dumbledore is away on personal business. He will be back on Monday. In the meantime he has entrusted me with the maintenance of Hogwarts. A duty I take very seriously."

The now named Dawlish gave her his own disapproving stare. Akane found it a little contrived, like he was doing it for affect, not out of honest feelings of disappointment.

"One of the students in his care is nearly murdered on his very doorstep and the Headmaster is away on _'personal business'_? What will it take to bring him back, Cromwell laying siege to the castle?"

Akane could tell he was honestly mad at the missing headmaster, but it felt like it was over something else, something preceding this attack on a student.

Ranma and Akane hadn't known till now why they and the other professors were summoned, hearing that one of the students ( which meant that it was most likely one of their students ) was nearly murdered lit a spark of anger in their hearts. As martial artists it was their duty to defend others, especially those entrusted into their care. The lack of surprise on the faces of the other professors let them know that they were the only ones who were still in the dark.

"Mr. Dawlish, we are taking every step to see to Miss Bell's recovery. The presence of Professor Dumbledore would make little difference. Or do you believe that I am incapable of seeing to the needs of this school and its students? Has the ministry found yet another candidate they feel is more capable?"

A grimace briefly appeared on Mr. Dawlish's face. Whatever McGonagall meant by that, she had clearly struck a nerve.

"No Professor, the Ministry does not seek to replace you or Professor Dumbledore. We the aurors on the other hand, would really like to know what he feels is more worthy of his attention than personally overseeing the safety of his students. Perhaps you could enlighten us?"

Minerva looked like she wanted to hit him. That was something Ranma would really like to see.

"I am sorry but Professor Dumbledore does not see fit to give me every detail of his private life. You will have to wait and ask him when he returns."

Mr. Dawlish looked like he wanted to hit her as well.

The building confrontation was cut off as Hagrid's shadow fell over the pair, the giant stood towering over them in a manner that couldn't help but be intimidating.

"What of Katie?" He asked, voice heady and choked with emotion. "Is she al'right?"

Turning toward Hagrid, McGonagall put a comforting hand on his. "Miss Bell is going to be fine Hagrid. It was most fortunate you were there and able to get her to help so quickly. While the curse was a particularly virulent one, she made only minimal contact with its source and was thus spared its full effect. Professor Snape has eliminated the hex and Madame Pomfrey is tending to her right now but tomorrow she will be sent to St. Mungo's where we expect her to make a full recovery."

Raising her voice to address the rest of the room, she once again became the dour dame who so got on Ranma's nerves. "As Mr. Dawlish has so kindly reminded us, we are responsible for the safety of Hogwarts' students. I have yet to confer with Professor Dumbledore, but I feel it behooves us to make some changes without delay. The first of these, is forbidding the students from going to Hogsmead. The second is a strict enforcement of curfew, along with having professors patrol the halls during the night."

"What of Quidditch Professor?" Rolonda Hooch asked, she refereed the games and had a personal interest in the answer. "Do we deny the students that as well?"

"No." McGonagall answered, face pensive. "I fear if we did that we would have a full fledged revolt on our hands. We will tighten security between the castle and the stadium during games, perhaps requiring students to travel with their prefects and houses but I feel the games should continue. I trust Professor Dumbledore will agree on this."

Now it was her turn to give Mr. Dawlish a hard and demanding look. "What about your aurors Mr. Dawlish? What more will you do to see to the safety of the children?"

To her consternation, the look he gave her was rather smug.

"I will assign more officers to Hogwarts' safety. We will ensure that no one is able to get either in _or_ out without our knowing about it. Also, I know the students will not like it but from now on we will have to open every package, inspect every parcel that enters or leaves the school. I do not feel it prudent to continue to rely only upon Mr. Filch's secret sensor. While he would most likely have detected the cursed artifact, preventing its entry into the school, the lethal nature of the attack demands that more stringent action be taken. I will leave it to you to explain to your students. Now, if you ladies and gentlemen will excuse me, I must see to my officers. Good day."

McGonagall gave the man's back a particularly sour look as he left the room and for a minute Ranma got the impression she was going to sharpen her claws on it. An involuntary shiver went down his spine in sympathy.

The meeting continued but other than working out a few details, such as assigning Flitwick to make a schedule for patrols, little more was accomplished. Professor Slughorn was the first to scurry from the room, sweeping past the Saotomes in a blubbery rush. They were about to follow his example, when they were called back by McGonagall.

"Akane, Ranma, if you don't mind I need to have a word with you and Professor Flitwick."

Once everyone else had left the room, she turned to address them with an unbending look in her eyes.

"Akane, Ranma, as you are still students yourselves, you will be required to observe all of the same restrictions as the other children. Including curfew and not leaving the grounds without clearing it with either myself or the Headmaster. If you feel you cannot accept these restrictions, then I am afraid we will have to ask you to leave. For your own safety. Do you understand?"

Ranma really wanted to tell her what she could do with her rules, but Akane's hand on his arm stopped him from getting them expelled. Seeing the pleading look in his wife's eyes, Ranma reluctantly nodded his head. "Yea, we understand."

"Good." McGonagall said, she considered their situation dealt with. "Now let us get back to work. We have a student body to reassure."

When Dumbledore returned he did sign off on all of McGonagall's suggestions, in spite of Ranma's arguments that he and Akane were in fact more capable then most of the other professors. Ranma actually claimed to be better than all of the professors. Dumbledore nodded and smiled, then informed him that McGonagall's decision would stand.

Ranma grumbled and complained but in spite of the perceived insult, he was bound by his honor to obey. Still, he felt the point had to be made and over the next several days operation 'tagging' commenced to completion. At sometime over the next three days, sometimes right in the middle of class, each of the professors ( with the notable exceptions of Flitwick, Hagrid and the ghost Binns ) found themselves with a big 'kick me' sign on their backs. Snape, being the tightly wound and paranoid individual that he is, detected his almost immediately. Whipping out his wand with respectable speed he cast an enchantment that would strip away almost all forms of magical concealment, including Ranma's Umi-Sen-Ken. It didn't help. Like most people he failed to look up and thus didn't see the grinning Saotome clinging to the ceiling above him like a ninja spider.

****

Halloween morning was a festive time with Hogwarts' halls all decked out for the season. Ghosts wandered the halls, gargoyles perching in the high places and the teachers and students all in costume as witches and wizards.

Okay, so it wasn't really any different from any other day and this year it certainly wasn't very festive. With the attack on Katie and the subsequent tightening of restrictions the students had little to celebrate. They felt like prisoners at Azkaban ( teenagers tend towards melodrama ) and they looked more like scowling goblins than anything. The Dementors would have had a field day.

Harry and Ron had an emergency team meeting that morning. With Katie in the hospital, she had been shipped off to London earlier that morning, their team was down one chaser and the first game was coming up. She had been on the team when Harry became seeker during his first year and he hadn't realized how much her support and advice meant to him until now when he found himself facing the team without her. He especially wasn't looking forward to finding a new chaser to replace her, the house try outs had been a nightmare that he had no desire to repeat. He was tempted to ask Dean to play, if he did he knew there would be cries of favoritism but Dean had been the next runner up in Harry's opinion and his next choice anyway.

The Quidditch meeting meant that Hermoine was alone when she wandered into the Great Hall for breakfast. Normally students came and went as they pleased, leaving the room looking rather empty with the exception of mail call. Not today, today it seemed almost every student in the castle was squeezed within the hall. Weaving her way through the crowd she finally reached the Gryffindor table where she found Ginny, Dean and Seamus giggling and quaffing from large pewter mugs.

"What's going on?" She asked them.

Only now noticing her, Ginny turned from the others. Giggling she wiped her mouth on the sleeve of her robes. "Hermoine! Isn't it wonderful, someone brought Butter beer!"

"Butter beer..." The drink was a rare treat at Hogwarts and would certainly explain the crowd.

"Who brought it?"

"Don't know." Ginny answered.

"Don't care!" Dean added enthusiastically, then taking another drink. Announcing his cup was empty he disappeared towards the teacher's end of the hall where Hermoine could now make out several barrels resting on the ends of the two innermost tables.

While Butter beer was quite the treat, Hermoine didn't think it warranted the raucous behavior dominating the room. She wondered if someone had spiked the drink with something much stronger. Of course it may have just been a jubilant response brought on by the temporary relief from the fear and tension that now pervaded the halls.

Dean returned, his own cup again full and another in hand which he offered to Hermoine.

There was one group of students in the room who did not seem to have caught the festive spirit. Their smiles were tight and the gleam in their eyes was one of malicious glee, not life affirming joy. They too were drinking cups of Butter beer but not with the same enthusiasm as the others. It was Draco and his cronies; Pansy, Crabbe and Goyle. Seated along the edge of the room at the Slytherin table, they were waiting for the floor show.

Unbeknownst to the rest of the rooms celebratory occupants, the gift of Butter beer was due to Draco's largess but it wasn't out of the generosity of his heart. What the students didn't know was that the Butter beer they were all enjoying came with two extra ingredients, ones with a malicious intent.

The first was a watered down version of a Confundus potion. Not as strong as normal, it merely inhibited judgment, leaving the recipient more open to suggestion. It was similar to the effects of alcohol without the stumbling or aftertaste. The second ingredient had been purchased from the Weasly twins and then augmented with several strands of red hair retrieved by Pansy Parkinson from the Saotomes' room during their visit to London. Draco had been planning this morning for weeks.

Ranma and Akane arrived for breakfast after their morning jog. They watched in confusion as several bubbly students spilled out of the Great Hall. Having gotten used to the dour expressions and fearful mutterings that had dominated the halls since the attack, the change was all the more drastic. Entering the Hall they were making their way across the room to the teacher's table when they saw a familiar head of long curly hair.

"Hey Hermoine, what's up?"

"Oh, Akane, Ranma, good morning. Would you care for some Butter beer?"

"Butter beer for breakfast?" Akane asked, a look of distaste on her face.

"Butter beer is for whenever you can get it. Ain't that right Dean?" Seamus offered up, then broke down in giggles. Dean was laughing too, like it was the best joke he had ever heard.

"Eh, sure." Ranma replied. Then all hell broke loose.

When Draco saw the Saotomes enter the Hall he was wearing the same knowing smirk he had been giving them for two weeks. Tapping Pansy on the shoulder, he signaled her to begin.

Taking a small silvery ball from her robe pocket and placing it on the floor, wand in hand Pansy used magic to guide the little orb across the room until it bumped into Ranma's foot. Then with a small twist, she released a wave of chaos on the room.

Feeling something bump into his foot, Ranma looked down to see a small silver ball, just before it exploded in his face with loud noises, bright flashing lights and a spray of cold water that soaked him and everyone else within four feet of her.

Eyes closed and dripping water, Ranma-Chan waited for the inevitable cries of shock, disgust and mocking that always came with the exposure of her curse. Her eyes snapped wide open when instead Seamus Finnigan grabbed her in a Kuno grade glomp. With a cry of feminine outrage she broke free of his hold, shoving him away to collide with Hermoine and Ginny sending all three to the floor. She was about to give the boy a scathing dressing down, when she was interrupted by Dean putting his hands in a place she never wanted any boy to touch.

With a shriek, she leaped away from him, landing on the Gryffindor table where her foot came down on a plate of butter sending her falling on her back upon the hard wood.

Momentarily forgetting where she was when she witnessed Dean touching Ranma's breasts, Akane seized the dark skinned pervert and with a heave sent Dean flying into another group of students like a head banger at a rock concert.

It was at that moment that the room exploded in a cacophony of noise straight out of Ranma's second worst nightmare ( her first involves Kuno, silken veils, plush throw pillows and chocolate syrup. She had no idea what the syrup was for but if it involved Kuno it had to be bad ) as dozens of male voices were suddenly raised in wild cries of "I love you!" and "Date with me!" ( okay, they didn't really say 'date with me' but that is what Ranma heard as a small army of Kunos rushed towards her in a surging wave ).

Frozen in terror, she saw a tableau straight out of a zombie movie as dozens of faces twisted in hunger came literally crawling over top each other to reach her and it wasn't her brains they were after.

She was broken free from her paralysis when a faceless boy leaped atop her supine form, hands scrambling for purchase ( or at least a good grip on her goodies ). Shoving the would be Happosai clone away, hard, she scrambled to her feet. Just in time to, as she was suddenly dancing like a cat on a hot tin roof to avoid the multitude of grasping hands that were reaching for her from every direction. When the boys started climbing onto the table she leaped high through the air to impact the wall some fifteen feet up, where she clung with a tenacity that would have even impressed the cross dressing ninja, Konatsu. Resolved to stay there, safely beyond their reach, her eyes widened in horror as the crowd below started sprouting a porcupines quill of wands. All pointed in her direction.

Reflexes spurred on by intense conditioning, she did her best Daffy Duck impersonation; leaping, spinning, twisting and bouncing about the room in a desperate drive to avoid the spells that now filled the air in the Hall turned shooting gallery.

The timely arrival of Hagrid created a breach in the impenetrable sea of lustful faces. Seizing the opportunity, she dived over the giant's head and out the door where she took off, a mob of shouting boys in pursuit that would have put one of Happosai's panty raids to shame.

Ranma could have used the Umi-Sen-Ken to disappear and escape, but like the Soul of Ice it required her to control her emotions and right now it was all the flustered girl could do to control her bladder.

Running at a speed the be spelled boys could never hope to match, she was about to escape when she came slipping around the corner only to find another group of giggling boys who upon seeing her erupted into their own confessions of love. Sliding to a halt, she changed directions racing towards the Great Stair Tower, this new crowd of boys in hot pursuit. Speeding up the stairs as fast as she could go, leaping from stair to stair when their shifting threatened to trap her, she again came to a screaming halt when a new group of boys spilled out from behind a painting ( Akane would be gratified to learn that yes, the castle did have secret passages ). These boys weren't giggling but she didn't wait to see if they would join the pursuit, instead leaping over the banister. Shooting down the stairwell in a full on power dive, she demonstrated her mastery of falling by hitting the stone floor below in a shock absorbing roll that converted most of the momentum of the fall into a headlong flight back down the hall. Leaving the second group of boys scattered up the flights of stairs, thoughts of escape were just worming their way into her mind when she ran straight into the first crowd of boys from the Great Hall, Hagrid's booming voice demanding an explanation in the background.

What followed could only be described as attempted gang rape as Ranma-Chan fought, kicked and yes, even bit her way through the throng of sex crazed boys. Losing both shoes, her robes and three buttons off her shirt in the process. She retained enough clarity of thought to be grateful she wasn't wearing a skirt. If she had she probably would have lost both it and her underpants to the grasping claws of the hormone driven boys.

Meeting over, Harry and Ron were headed to the Great Hall for breakfast when they spied a scene out of a parody film. A wildly flailing throng of boys appeared to be trying to disrobe the thrashing red headed girl trapped in their midst.

"Hey, isn't that Ranma?" Harry asked Ron as they watched the girl break free, even as Hagrid began wading through the boys behind her.

"Yea. What's going on?"

"Come on." Leading Ron, Harry went in pursuit but the martial arts instructor was lost in the maze that was Hogwarts castle. Pulling a thick sheaf of folded paper from a pocket in his robes, Harry tapped it with his wand, summoning forth print and lines of ink. Opening the Marauder's Map, he searched for Ranma's footprints.

"There she is!" Ron shouted, pointing. "She's headed towards the Transfiguration Hall!"

"Come on!" Harry cried, "I know a short cut!"

One of the best things about the map was its depiction of the secret rooms and passages of the castle.

Ranma had been running in complete panic, not realizing that she was completing a circle that would bring her back around to her pursuers. Getting the strong impression that every boy in the school was going Kuno on her, Ranma was again changing direction as a group of wanna be Happossai's again engaged her in pursuit. Sprinting around a corner she slammed head first into Ron Weasly.

"Ow!" They both cried from their place on the floor. Then Ron froze as he realized that there was a girl lying on top of him, his face trapped between her breasts bare flesh exposed by several missing buttons. He wasn't Japanese but he still developed a nose bleed.

The cries of her pursuers growing louder, Harry grabbed Ranma under the arms pulling her off of his stunned friend. "Come on!" He yelled, dragging her through a hidden portal in the wall, leaving Ron behind.

When the horde cleared the corner to find Ron lying on the floor in a puddle of nasal blood, they knew Ranma had been there. Not seeing the hidden door, they took off down the hall.

****

Two minutes later Harry was standing outside the door of the nearest restroom. After Ranma-Chan calmed down enough to talk, her only desire had been to find hot water and pray that whatever was afflicting the male population didn't extend to wanting her boy form.

Using the Marauder's Map to avoid the hunting packs, Harry led her to this girl's restroom. He waited outside, uncomfortable with the idea of entering without first knowing if there were any girls inside. Ranma was too anxious to care.

Waiting as look out in the hall, Harry jumped with the first cries of feminine outrage in the restroom. He was still debating what to do when a male Ranma came barreling out of the room, arms sheltering his head. The swinging door doing nothing to slow her down, Moaning Myrtle came flying out of the restroom in pursuit. She couldn't really hurt Ranma but that didn't stop her from swinging at him, or him from scurrying away in terror crying out something in Japanese. Harry didn't know what the pig tailed boy was saying, but he guessed it was something along the lines of "It's not my fault!"

Harry was just glad that for once he wasn't the one standing in the eye of the storm. He tried, he really did, but he couldn't stop the laughter that soon bellowed forth.

Author's Notes:

I apologize for the long delay and hope it was worth the wait. I rewrote the chase scene no less than four times trying to get it right. The first two versions were pathetic, the third was just not good.

To Tribun; your thoughts aren't exactly the same as mine, but you would be hard pressed to tell the difference. One thing I will point out, Snape didn't sig Draco on Ranma to hurt him, but to trick Ranma into doing something that will get the Saotomes expelled.

I was once asked why the Tendo sisters hadn't received letters of acceptance from a magic school and responded by stating that there was no Japanese school in my universe. Since then I have discovered that there is at least a Japanese Quidditch team, the Toyohashi Tengu. Since Quidditch is played on broomsticks, this argues the presence of western style magic in Japan. Until I learn anything more saying otherwise (anybody who knows better, please correct me), I will explain it like this;

Western magic was first introduced to modern Japan during the industrial revolution under the Meiji Emperor, but given that most if not all of the magical families were also samurai families it failed to make many inroads. That is until reconstruction after World War II, when the English were closely involved in the rebuilding of Japan and its social structure. At this point the western method began to make serious inroads into Japan's magic society, but many of the old families (i.e.: samurai families) viewed it as a foreign invader. This would better explain Ryu Kumon's hostile response to Mei Lin's offer. In this scenario there would be a nascent school of magic in Japan, probably in Okinawa (ironic given that I have made that island the birthplace of the Tendo/Saotome clans and the magic they practice). The school would be small, with most of its students being muggle born and while the Japanese practitioners do not treat the muggle born with the same prejudice as their western counterparts, they do see the graduates of this school as being 'tainted' by foreign ways. People no longer truly Japanese. In time this new way will come to dominate Japan, just as capitalism and technology have, but in the meantime the old families hold to their traditions with a steadfast grip. Fortunately for my story the Anything Goes school consumes new techniques with the voraciousness of a Saotome at Kasumi's table.


	13. Chapter 13 Bad Thoughts

Chapter 13: Bad Thoughts

Dumbledore's office was quiet, the outer areas dark and filled with the weight of the old wizard's disappointment.

"I count on you to control your students Severus, not encourage them."

Snape's expression was carefully neutral, with just a hint of disdain.

"I fail to see the problem Headmaster, it was a harmless prank."

"I am afraid Professor McGonagall doesn't share your opinion. She is demanding that some action be taken to ensure this never happens again."

She had demanded more than that. When Dumbledore returned to Hogwarts, after carefully avoiding the notice of the school's guardians, he found a furious Minerva pacing about his office. In forty years of working together he had never seen her that upset. Not even during the incident with the basilisk. Injury and possible death were one thing, she informed him, but this was totally unacceptable.

"I still fail to see the problem sir, I am confident that no evidence will be found linking this to my house. Most likely it was the actions of some misguided student trying to outshine his fellow pranksters. Most likely a Gryffindor, after all the love draught used did originate in the Weasly store. The ministry should move to close down that store and end its frivolous abuse of magic. I'm sure Professor McGonagall would agree."

Dumbledore looked upon his old friend with a mixture of frustration and dismay. Ranma was young and some allowances had to be made, but Snape was far too old and experienced to be so caught up in this childish rivalry.

"Let us hope that is true Severus, for I fear that if any evidence is found that points to young Mr. Malfoy and not just concerning the events in the Great Hall this morning, then I may have no choice but to punish or even expel him."

Snape wasn't entirely successful in keeping the surprise from his face. "Surely you wouldn't act to destroy Mr. Malfoy's future for the sake of the Minister's pet?"

Dumbledore gave his friend a tired and to Snape's discomfort, resigned look. "I am willing to go to great lengths to protect Mr. Malfoy's future Severus, but if we prove unable to control him, this may quickly spiral beyond my ability to contain." He gave his friend a piercing and almost pleading look. "Please Severus, you must control your student for his own sake."

****

"What do you mean, you don't know who was responsible?!"

After the events that took place at breakfast that morning Ranma was mad, extremely mad, but not as mad as Akane. Her body shaking with suppressed anger, Akane was the one yelling at Dumbledore and by extension the rest of the Hogwarts staff. Her back was slightly bowed, her hands clenched in white knuckled fists. She may very well have lashed out at someone, most likely Snape with his condescending smirk, if not for Ranma's hands holding her shoulders, gently restraining her from behind.

He was angry enough to attack Snape himself, but he was also better at controlling his temper. After seventeen years with his father, Genma, it was a necessity of survival. It didn't hurt that he was feeling a pleasant warmth spreading through him as he watched Akane coming to his defense for a change. Her face was flushed, jaw clenched tight and eyes flashing fire. For a moment he was struck dumb by her fierce beauty. Her smile may have stolen his heart, but it was her spirit that kept it.

It was late in the evening after the Butter Beer incident, Halloween night, and the Headmaster had summoned them along with the other professors for a staff meeting. It was being held in the teacher's lounge instead of Dumbledore's office, he didn't feel it was wise to invite the surely volatile young couple into his office for this, too many breakables.

"I am sorry Mrs. Saotome, but there is no way to know who was responsible for lacing the casks of Butter Beer. There is just no way to trace the potion back to its source."

The look the old wizard was giving her bore all the hallmarks of sincerity, but Akane was struck by the sudden realization that all though Dumbledore and the rest of the staff addressed each other as 'professor', they referred to her and Ranma as 'Mr.' and 'Mrs.'. Terms of respect, of course, without once recognizing the positions they nominally held at the school. She and Ranma may be teaching classes at Hogwarts, but in the eyes of the staff they were only students and children, not equals.

"Do we know who provided the Butter Beer Professor?" McGonagall asked. She was standing beside Akane, for once supporting the young couple. Witch or not, she was an old school ma'rm and 'boys will be boys' only went so far in her opinion. She couldn't blame the boys in the Great Hall for their behavior, they had been under a hex and were no more responsible then if they had been under an Imperious Curse, but who ever spiked the Butter Beer was a different animal all together. The fact that they added a Confundus potion to the Love Draught made it clear that they were aiming for that exact result, maybe even worse. If Ranma hadn't been so quick on her feet who knows what might have happened. It was enough that Minerva was more than willing to overlook Akane's violent response to the event, even felt the desire to get a little aggressive herself.

Dumbledore wasn't looking forward to answering that question and he hesitated too long, for to his regret Snape took it upon himself to answer.

"The casks were a Halloween gift from Draco Malfoy. He was merely trying to lift the spirits of his fellow students during these _tense_ times. The Malfoy's are not unknown for their largess. Surely you don't think to blame him for what was clearly some delinquent's exploitation of his charity?" The fact that he said it with a straight face was quite impressive.

Dumbledore now rushed in, attempting to head off any response from McGonagall or the Saotome's, seeking to prevent further and he felt pointless hostilities. "No, of course not Professor Snape. An act of kindness is certainly not a crime. It is only regrettable that there is no evidence to expose the actual perpetrator of this unfortunate prank. We will of course, do our best to keep this from disrupting the school any further." There had already been too much disruption. With a large portion of the student body suffering the effects of a Confundus charm, classes had effectively been canceled for the day as the professors were too busy working to counteract the effects of the Love Draught while having to hunt down all of the confused students.

Akane disagreed, she felt an overwhelming need to cause a further disruption, preferably to someone's blood flow. "No evidence?! Malfoy and his friends weren't affected by the potion, isn't that proof that he knew about it?"

"I am sorry Akane, but no, it is not. Not all of the casks were tainted and several students were unaffected. There is no evidence to suggest that any of the students were intentionally avoiding the potion. Mr. Malfoy and his friends may have been merely lucky."

Akane almost couldn't believe this, wouldn't have been able to if not for her earlier experience with being attacked by Crabbe and Goyle and the lack of disciplining that followed. She knew Draco and his crew were going to skate on this, Snape's mocking grin made that clear. What she did find unbelievable was Professor McGonagall's response, she honestly hadn't expected the old woman to rock the boat.

"I am afraid that is not good enough Professor." McGonagall was giving the headmaster a hard look, ignoring Snape. "A young lady was attacked through the auspices of magic, using a potion that has already been forbidden on school grounds." She continued to ignore Snape, along with his less than subtle snort at her use of the word 'lady'. She did spare Ranma a brief glance and raised brow when he complained that he was a guy under his breath. Seeing that he had nothing else to add, she returned her focus to Dumbledore. "Just imagine if this had happened to someone less capable than Mr. Saotome, perhaps one of the younger students who was unable to protect herself. If that isn't enough to move you to action, a large portion of the student body was directly effected and an entire day lost. If the perpetrators of this heinous act are to remain...uncensored, then what are _you_ going to do to ensure this doesn't happen again?"

A small frown made a brief appearance on Albus' face, he couldn't remember Minerva ever questioning his handling of a situation so strongly. She was almost accusing him of wrong doing. Stroking his beard to buy time, he gave serious consideration to his response. He needed this episode to disappear. Hogwarts needed it to disappear. "There is little we can do to increase the security of the grounds that is not already being done. As for what may already be within the school, we will ask the school prefects to conduct a search of their perspective houses and keep an eye open for any other contraband." Seeing from Minerva's stiff posture and tapping foot that she felt his response was...inadequate, he hurried to add. "I am afraid there is little else we can do. I will ask Professor Slughorn to prepare an adequate amount of counter agent for any possible future problems. I'm sure Professor Snape would be glad to help him."

From the look on his face Snape most definitely wasn't 'glad' about the idea of wasting hours mixing potions that would likely never be used. McGonagall didn't look happy with the idea either, but she couldn't think of anything better, only able to add that they should make the students aware that any future pranks would be met with 'stringent disciplining'.

"Yes, that would be agreeable. I will make the announcement tomorrow at breakfast." Dumbledore now considered the subject closed, but Snape was less willing to abandon such a golden opportunity to draw blood from the undesirables.

"I hate to belabor the point, but what are we to do about Mr. Saotome's little problem? With his curse now having been, how do the muggles say...outed, shouldn't we address the issue with the students?" Snape couldn't hide the malicious gleam in his eyes. Dumbledore was annoyed with him for dragging the issue out and Ranma had gone pale, images of being held up in front of the student body while wearing a cheerleader's uniform dancing through his mind. McGonagall was actually starting to look angry and even Horace Slughorn was beginning to look interested in the proceedings, it promised to be entertaining. It was the often overlooked Professor Flitwick who came to Ranma's rescue.

"I don't think that will be necessary." The little man said with a kindly smile. "The addition of the Confundus charm left the students affected so confused that they really don't know who they attacked, and the extreme nature of the series of events that followed left even those students who were unaffected confused about what actually happened. I dare say that few, if any, of the people outside of this room have any idea of what really happened. If we don't tell them it should be possible for Mr. Saotome to continue as he has. It might be best if the furor of this morning be allowed to die down before we bring his curse to the attention of the students. At the least it might limit the amount of disruption this may cause."

Both Ranma and Akane threw the little man a grateful look. No one noticed but hidden behind his beard Dumbledore was wearing his own grateful smile.

"Yes, yes. I think that would be best. I will make the announcement about upholding the rules tomorrow, but we will make no mention of the identity of the student involved. If anyone asks I would have everyone refuse to answer. Tell them that we are trying to protect the student attacked from further embarrassment. I'm sure that most of the children would be more than happy to forget what happened."

The meeting quickly came to a less then satisfactory end, with Dumbledore more interested in putting the incident behind them than in solving the underlying problem. Holding in their anger, Ranma and Akane expressed their gratitude to Professors McGonagall and Flitwick. Hagrid apologized to Ranma for his inability to stop the boy's amorous pursuers in the hall, before inviting them to afternoon tea the next day. Horace gave them an amused smile as he passed, while the smile Snape was wearing belonged on a snake.

Having escaped the presence of the school's professors, Akane couldn't contain her anger any longer. "I can't believe they expect us to just accept this! You know they won't do anything to Malfoy!"

Ranma was equally angry and carried the larger burden of shame, but he had learned long ago not to let his anger determine his strategy in battle. Expression tight, he looked around ensuring that the hallway was indeed empty before replying. "Don't worry Akane, we aren't going to just take this lying down. Draco will learn not to underestimate us."

Akane felt a spike of fear enter her heart at his words, she knew Ranma wouldn't let this pass but she worried about how much revenge would cost them. "Ranma! You can't fight Draco. You know what will happen and if we get kicked out of school, Snape wins. As much as I want to graduate, I really don't want to give that slimy snake the satisfaction of driving us out."

Ranma gave her a tight smile, neither noticing when he took her hand in his. "Don't worry Akane, I'm not going to challenge Draco, what would that prove? Everyone already knows I'm better than him, not even he can deny that. No, I was thinking we could fight fire with fire, or should I say fight fire with...Nabiki?"

A cloud of confusion settled over Akane's face, but a ray of hope was shinning in her eyes. "What do you mean?"

The smile on his face was anything but friendly, but it warmed her heart all the same. "I mean we pay him back the way Nabiki would, real sneaky like. We do to him like he did to us, leaving no evidence behind to prove we were to blame. When we are done not only will Draco know that we trumped him, but he will also know what it is like to feel abandoned while being told to do nothing."

"What are you planning Ranma?"

He grimaced. "I'm planning on talking to Nabiki. You know I'm not too good at this underhanded stuff. I'm more of a up front fight kind of guy and let's be honest, your no better at it. We need Nabiki, she will know how to pay him back without us suffering any backlash. Snape may think he is sneaky, but he has never wrangled with your sister. We're going too, how do the American's say..." Now the smile on his face was one of honest amusement. "...take him to school."

Akane giggled, her anger draining away with the thought of getting back at the annoying git.

****

Kasumi was cleaning the dishes from breakfast when a two foot tall missile came careening through the back door and into the kitchen, only stopping long enough to snag a cookie from the tray that Kasumi and Nodoka kept for that very purpose, before disappearing in search of Nodoka. The Saotome matriarch was helping little Newt prepare her Halloween costume and the girl was very excited. Nodoka had sewn the girl her very own kimono out of red cloth with white cranes.

Abigail followed her daughter at a more sedate pace, stopping to speak with her new friend in the kitchen. Little Finely was asleep on her shoulder, hidden away in a tightly wrapped blanket to shield him from the cold outside.

"Bedelia so loves coming over here, she spent all morning telling me about the little outfit Nodoka is making for her. I really can't thank you enough for the time you two have spent with her. When Medwin first told me about your coming to England I thought it would require so much work from me. Instead I find myself indebted to you for all of the help you've been with our little Newt."

"Nonsense." Kasumi said with a smile. "We love having her and you have been the best friend I've had since I was a little girl. I can't tell you how much coming to this place has meant to us." A conflicted look came over Kasumi's face. "To be honest, in many ways I am not looking forward to going home again. We have found so many good things in England."

"Oh, really?" Abigail asked, one eyebrow raised and a mischievous lilt in her voice. "Have you met any nice young doctors then?"

Kasumi couldn't stop the blush that turned her face red as a tomato, nor could she prevent the small smile that stole onto her face. She shook her head no, in spite of knowing the other woman was only teasing her. Kasumi had told her new friend about Tofu and as the good doctor continued to write her, so did their conversations about him.

"Tofu wrote me..." She struggled to speak around the girlish giggles that were trying to force their way out, so excited to share the news. Finally she succeeded. "Tofu is coming to visit us for the holidays!" Now the room did fill with squeals of delight and not all of them came from Kasumi.

"Oh Kasumi! That's wonderful! Now I'll finally get to meet this young man of yours and see for myself if he lives up to all the hype."

Kasumi knew her friend was teasing her mercilessly, but it felt so good to engage in the sort of teasing banter that she had missed out on while caring for her sisters. In many ways, being here with Abigail and Nodoka was like recapturing her lost teenage years.

"So when can we expect to meet your young man?" The English girl's face radiated the happiness she felt for her friend.

"His plane is scheduled to fly in on December twenty third. He will be coming with my father, sister Nabiki and Uncle Saotome." A wistful look came over Kasumi's face, momentarily damping her youthful excitement and leaving the Tendo matriarch in its place. "We are going to have a full house again, just like home. I don't know where we are going to put everyone, but we'll manage."

"If you need, we have a spare room you can use."

"Thank you, we might need it. Oh!"

"Oh?"

"I just thought...isn't Christmas a big deal here in England? I mean, the whole country celebrates it, right?"

"Yes, why?"

"I thought..." Kasumi had a far away look in her eyes, her mind momentarily lost in the past and plans for the future. "Last year we had a Christmas party back home in our dojo. All of our friends came, we ate and exchanged gifts. I doubt it was very much like what you do here in England, but it is one of my fonder memories. I was wondering if we could do the same here, this year. You and Medwin, Patricia and William, any friends Akane and Ranma have made at school, I was hoping we could all get together on Christmas and have our own little celebration. We could make all of the foods you do here in England and Mother Nodoka and I could introduce you to some of the food we have in Tokyo." An amused glint made an appearance in her eyes. "If we do it right, we might even get Ranma-Chan to sing."

"Oh Kasumi, that's a wonderful idea! We could put up a tent in the back yard, use all three kitchens to cook! Let's do it."

"Mommy." A timid voice interrupted them from the hallway entrance.

Turning they found Newt dressed in a beautiful red kimono, the white silhouettes of cranes flying across it here and there. She had a hopeful look on her face, seeking her mother's approval of her new outfit. A smiling and proud Nodoka standing behind her.

"Oh Newt, it's beautiful." Abigail gave her daughter a big smile of approval. "You are beautiful."

"Come little lady." Nodoka took Newt by the hand. "Let's go get you changed. There is still a lot to do before Halloween."

"Okay." Newt followed Nodoka from the kitchen. "Aunty, could you fix my hair like Ranma's?"

Nodoka gave the girl an indulgent look. "My child's hairstyle isn't very lady like."

"Please." The little girl pleaded, giving her those big eyes, just like she had learned from Ranma-Chan when visiting the ice cream shop. It was no less effective here.

"All right."

****

At nine o'clock in the morning in Watford England the sun had already burned off the fall morning fog, but there was still a sharp chill to the air that had people bundled up in coats and scarves as they went about their daily business.

That included three men standing near the bus station on Lower High Street. Dressed in business suits; one brown, one a dark gray and the last a navy blue under long coats. The men stood out from the crowd despite their conservative dress, for well their suits were finely tailored, they were also half a century behind the fashions. Except for the navy blue one worn by the younger man, it looked like a left over from the seventies and A Clockwork Orange.

Still no one paid them much attention, it was All Hallows Eve after all and if three gentlemen felt like dressing up as relics from the past that was their prerogative. The same couldn't be said for the men, fore while they were ignoring the crowds of morning shoppers and commuters making their way from house or store to bus and train, they were paying avid attention to three smiling young ladies that were making their way across the street to the Harlequin Shopping Center.

Two of the ladies were clearly oriental, in spite of being bundled up in English coats and scarves. The third was little more than a toddler, with a long blonde pigtail sticking out from beneath her bright red, knit cap. The little one was walking betweent eh other two, raised hands held from each side as they scurried out of the street and onto the sidewalk, unaware of the malevolent eyes upon them.

Hungry eyes riveted to his prey, the burly man in gray reached into a hidden pocket sewn within his coat, withdrawing his wand with the same intensity as a man drawing a gun that he intended to use. An action quickly replicated by his taller companion in brown, but not by the smallest and youngest in blue.

With an annoyed glance towards the younger man, the burly man in brown spoke, contempt dripping from his tongue like venom.

"You can go no Ezekiel. Your services are no longer required, or have you forgotten that Lord Voldemort gave this task to us?"

His narrow frame shivering in the cold morning air, Ezekiel returned Crabbe's glare and his contempt.

"Oh, I know the Dark Lord trusts you to deal with the foreigners." The tone of his voice suggested otherwise. "But need I remind you of our Lord's warning or your fate if you fail?"

Wand gripped tight in a white knuckled fist, Crabbe tore his gaze from the of objects of his lusts, bringing his full attention down on the smaller man beside him.

"Goyle and I are more than capable of handling a couple of foreign withces, or anyone else who tries to interfere." The last was clearly a threat.

Instead of cowering in fear as desired, Ezekiel responded with a superior smirk.

"Yes, yes. I'm sure you can, but these lovely ladies mean nothing to Lord Voldemort. No, your prey is safely ensconced behind the walls of Hogwarts and killing their family will not bring them out, only serve to warn Dumbledore of the danger."

Envisioning a blue pile of ash, it took all of Crabbe's limited restraint to keep from killing the arrogant upstart right there in the street. He so wanted to, but Ezekiel currently held the Dark Lord's favor. Killing him without sufficient cause would be seen as rebellion and Voldemort demanded absolute loyalty from his followers, both living and dead.

"You've done your part in learning their location from the ministry, Lord Voldemort I'm sure will be pleased. It would be a shame if your mouth messed that up by getting you killed."

Ezekiel was neither impressed nor intimidated, but he didn't want to get stuck cleaning up after these worthless fumblers either.

"If you exercise but a modicum of patience, your prey will come out of Hogwarts' sheltering walls on their own." He advised.

"Why would they do that?" Goyle asked, shocking his companions.

Stunned, Ezekiel wasted a minute just staring at him. Marveling, he realized that this was the first time he had ever heard the big man speak. It took him a minute to remember what he had intended to say. At least the unexpected interruption had disrupted Crabbe's growing anger.

Smiling at Crabbe's no longer silent partner, Ezekiel answered in his most pleasant voice.

"Christmas is coming and you know that with those lovely ladies here in Watford they won't be spending the holiday break at the school. So if you but wait until then not only will they come out from beneath Dumbledore's skirts, but you will have time to adequately plan your attack. Besides, with your new years deadline, if you fail you will still have plenty of time to flee before the Dark Lord's wrath."

Not giving Crabbe a chance to respond, most likely with violence, Ezekiel walked away, singing the chorus to 'I'll be home for Christmas' loud enough to attract the attention of several passers by. Then he aspirated away in plain sight of the muggles, causing several to do a double take.

With a muttered curse on all pox ridden swine, Crabbe returned his wand to its pocket signaling Goyle to do the same before walking in the other direction. He would have aspirated out as well but he didn't want to risk anyone being alerted to their presence before the deed was done.

It was hard not taking his frustration out on the two highly desirable women, but Ezekiel was right, they were not the ones Lord Voldemort ordered killed. At least this year he would be looking forward to Christmas with great anticipation.

Author's notes:

Merry Christmas. I was hoping to be posting the Christmas chapter at this time and I would have, if I hadn't wasted nearly two months in frustration. Sorry about that.

Filch's cat, Miss Norris; Ranma was supposed to be so stressed about what Draco was going to do, that his fear of cats seemed like the lesser devil at this point. I should have done it better.

JWG; I know this will probably disappoint you, but many of the things you are wondering about are actually intended for what happens after Ranma and Akane leave Hogwarts. All and all this part of the story is villain weak, setting the stage for what follows more than anything. As for Trelanwy's 'hint'; yes it does involve Ranma's method of appirating, the one you gave me the idea of connecting to the 'silent thief' technique. No it doesn't refer to Ranma, but to villains that will come after graduation. The first chapter contains several hints of what is to come, including where it will take place. I intend to call that section 'The Black Lotus'. I will be explaining the dragon and its connection to Akane's mother in a couple of chapters from now, after Ranma takes his revenge.

Tribun; I'm afraid that in this story, same as the original books, the school will take no direct action against Draco for what he has done. Let's face it, by the end he is allowed to skate on at least two acts of attempted murder, both nearly causing the death of other students. In comparison a little attempted rape is just a party favor. No, Ranma is going to have to seek his own satisfaction. Hopefully what I have planned will be worthy of the original offense. The bathroom humor scene, that was just an attempt at a Ranma moment. The kind of misunderstanding that always plagued him in the manga.

Thanks again to everyone who has commented on this story, all of those "crappy responses" are much appreciated.


	14. Chapter 14 Visions of the Past

Chapter 14: Visions of the Past

The Saotomes spent the rest of the weekend in their suite, only coming out for meals or to workout in their classroom. Not breakfast though, they skipped the informal meal in the mornings, instead depending on Lint to bring them food straight from the kitchen.

Each time the little house elf appeared or departed it was under Ranma's attentive gaze. He had been intently studying her technique and was sure he was close to figuring out how she did it. Unfortunately to his frustration there seemed to be something he was missing, some element without which he would never succeed in claiming her technique for his own. It was almost like it wasn't meant for human chi. Still, he refused to accept defeat, confident that eventually he would figure it out. Then even if he couldn't do it himself, he knew it was only a short step to creating a related technique of his own, one he could use.

The Saotomes weren't staying in their rooms just to avoid the students and professors, they did visit Hagrid for tea after all, they stayed in their rooms because they were busy brainstorming. By the time they retired to bed on Sunday night they had a good idea of what they wanted to do to Malfoy and his cronies, but they didn't know how they would get away with it, or obtain the necessary supplies. They needed support and advice from Nabiki back in Japan, something that was proving difficult to obtain without tipping someone off. They couldn't call because there were no phones at Hogwarts. They couldn't write her, not even by sending an owl to Kasumi in Watford, because the professors and the ministry people surrounding the school were going through every piece of post that left the castle. They tried requesting permission to leave for London over the weekend but McGonagall denied it, informing them that the Aurors and thus the ministry requested that no one leave the grounds until they had secured its boundaries. She couldn't say how long that would be, but judging by the flat look in her eyes Ranma wasn't going to hold his breath.

Once they left the old witches' presence, Ranma muttered about that being a restriction that he was sure didn't apply to Dumbledore or the other professors. Akane hadn't even tried to argue the point, she was quickly coming to agree with him. She still wanted to graduate though and there were several good things for them at Hogwarts, here they were free from the madness of Nerima and there were opportunities they never would have had back home.

****

Sunday night Akane dreamed of her mother.

The first such dream she'd had since returning from that weekend in London. The weekend that began in fear, then turned to contentment as they visited with Kasumi and mother Nodoka, only to end in hurt and frustration as she fought with Ranma. She hardly slept, much less dreamed, during the week that followed, the time when Ranma was sleeping on the floor in their sitting room. After that, in spite of the relief she felt in finally sharing a bed with her husband, she had been too wound up in worry over what Draco Malfoy and Snape were going to do with their knowledge of Ranma's curse to drift through dreams.

Tonight though, tonight her mind was free of worry, tonight she dreamed of her mother. She barely recognized her, probably wouldn't have if not for the strange way she just knew things about what she was dreaming, things she had never known before.

Kimiko looked to be maybe eleven or twelve years of age, her body just beginning to show signs of the woman she would become, and with her short hair she looked like quite the tomboy. It seems Akane came by it honestly, and not from her father. Kimiko was in potions class, and yes...there was Professor Slughorn, looking younger but no slimmer than he did now.

"Okay class," He started in a friendly voice, yet also one of experience and authority. "today we are going to brew a simple little potion called Leviculus Morsus. Can anyone tell me what it does?"

He scanned the room, looking for a raised hand and a body that couldn't sit still in its seat. He found one wearing the blue and bronze of House Ravenclaw.

"Yes, Miss Stroma isn't it?"

A tall, slender girl with long, dark hair, Rebecca Stroma nodded before answering in a pleasant, if a little high pitched, voice.

"The Leviculus Morsus potion is useful for alleviating minor aches and pains. It is primarily used for curing headaches, thus the name."

It seems every generation has its Hermoine. Rebecca was very bright, with a good heart and a kind soul. Which is probably why the Death Eaters would later kill her during Voldemort's first attempt to claim power over the Wizarding world.

"Very good Miss Stroma, five points for Ravenclaw. Yes, the Leviculus Morsus potion is used to alleviate minor pains and I dare presume that many, if not all of you have enjoyed its benefits before. It has long been a favorite of mothers throughout the Common Wealth. A little will ease aches and relieve headache pain, yet too much will leave one feeling light headed and confused. Which, amusingly enough, may also be a reason for the name." Professor Slughorn and the Ravenclaw students all chuckled, as if at a small joke. "Now the primary ingredient is bark from the Willow tree..."

The dream professor Slughorn went on to discuss the making of the Leviculus Morsus potion and in spite of her only interest being in watching her mother, Akane couldn't seem to help learning from his lecture. In no time the students were bringing out their cauldrons, most pewter, a few made of silver, and at Slughorn's direction, began adding ingredients as he continued to expound on the virtues and properties of each.

Kimiko was mixing the ingredients, following the instructions listed in the open text book beside her, but she seemed harried and flustered and even Akane could tell that this wasn't going to end well, not the way she wanted. Kimiko was frantically stirring the contents of the pewter cauldron in a counter clockwise direction and Akane could see Professor Slughorn moving across the room, worry etched across his features, when her mother's potion instantly evaporated. The cauldron was empty, only a few stray wisps of smoke left of its contents.

"Ahhh!" She screamed in frustration, a feeling with which Akane was all too familiar.

"Now, now my dear. No reason for all that." Slughorn sought to reassure her, placing a comforting hand upon her shoulder. "Potion making is an exacting art, yes, but it is one that anyone can master with enough hard work and determination." Now he raised his voice to address the whole class. "That is part of what makes potions such a wonderful art. Why, with enough dedication and the proper ingredients, anyone can mix up an elixir for almost any purpose. If done properly there is nothing that a potions master cannot achieve. He can cure ills, heal even the most grievous injuries, clear up teenage skin." Here he stopped to share a few laughs with his nervous young students. "He can even bottle luck. In fact, in my experience the only thing a potion can't do is make someone fall in love, but even that it can fake, often to disastrous results. No, with potions it is not a question of what can you do, but of what should you do. The waving of wands, charms and transfigurations are wondrous magic, yes, but all pale in comparison to what can be achieved with a simple potion mixed from the correct ingredients."

Turning back to Kimiko, he gave the shy girl a friendly smile. "So don't give up my dear. There are wonders beyond counting waiting for you if you but persevere. Trust me when I tell you that it is well worth whatever efforts it costs you. Now, try again, you'll get it eventually as long as you don't give up." With another pat on the shoulder, Slughorn moved over to help another student.

Kimiko turned back to her cauldron with a determined look in her eyes and a small smile on her lips.

The dream shifted to what Akane somehow knew to be days later, the location, a student lab in another part of the castle. Her mother was bent over her cauldron, desperately stirring its contents while simultaneously adding several pinches of various powders.

Kimiko looked haggard. Her hair was standing up in random tufts, her bangs having turned a strange shade of blue. Her clothing was equally disheveled, with still smoking spots scattered here and there on the front of her robes. With a sudden cry of fear, she jumped away from the table as the once yellow contents of the cauldron turned an angry red and began to boil. She had no sooner cleared the area when the potion gone wrong exploded in a cloud of foul smelling black smoke, which once cleared revealed a large crack in the side of her poor cauldron, its contents spilling out over the table and already beginning to congeal.

With a cry of despair Kimiko covered her face with her hands, tears slipping between her fingers as a frightened male voice ( that sounded suspiciously like Ranma ) cried out "Kimiko, would you give it up already before you kill someone!"

Akane wanted to cry as she watched her mother turn to flee the room in shame, only to be brought up short as she impacted with the bosom of an older, heavier girl. Looking up past her tears, Kimiko found herself looking into kind hazel eyes framed by soft, generous features with the cutest pug nose, all topped by the reddest hair she had ever seen. Without hesitation, the older girl wrapped her arms around Kimiko in a comforting hug, just like her mother or Amelia would do.

"There, there dearie. Don't let them get to you, they're just fools, probably afraid of their own shadows. Don't let them discourage you."

"Don't encourage her Molly." One of the boys said in a biting voice.

"Oh, just you hush William Forsythe, or I'll hex you and make your skin break out in the most awful pimples. I can do it too, my brother Gideon taught me the spell. A frightfully unpleasant experience it is to, trust you me." She gave him a glare that bode ill for her future children. The aforementioned William gave her an undignified huff, before turning back to his fellows and ignoring the girls.

The now named Molly held Kimiko out to arms length, giving her a warm smile as she brushed the tears from her cheeks with the back of her fingers. "Now, now dear. Don't cry, it will be all right. I'm Molly by the way, Molly Prewett. Who might you be?"

"Kimiko." Was the answer, given in a shuddering and timid voice.

"Well Kimiko, let's just see what we have here." Molly spoke reassuringly, as she turned to survey the mess on the table. "Oh, what a mess." Drawing forth her wand, she waved it and with a "Scourgify." caused the hardening substance to be whisked away from the cracked cauldron and off the table. Then studying the cauldron, she again waved her wand with a "Reparo."

Kimiko watched the crack in her cauldron seal itself back up, leaving only a slightly discolored line to show it had ever been there.

"There, much better." Molly exclaimed, putting her wand back into her robes. "Of course that cauldron won't be as good as it was before, but it will do for now. Working on potions making I see."

Kimiko nodded yes, rubbing the remaining tears from her eyes. "Professor Slughorn says I can do it, but I've been trying and..." Her head drooped, chin resting on her sternum as she made a few futile brushings at her no longer pristine robes.

"Now, now, Professor Slughorn is right. Anyone can learn to make potions, even I had trouble at first. All it takes is a little patience and hard work, traits you must have in abundance if the sorting hat put you in Hufflepuff."

Kimiko couldn't contain a small smile at the other girl's mothering manner. "Still, that boy is probably right. At this rate I'll kill myself before I master it."

Molly's eyes twinkled along with her smile. "Well, as my gran always said, 'there is more than one way to skin a cat' and its fortunate for you that there is a related, easier and _much_ safer art that you can practice. One that is equally rewarding, even Professor Slughorn would agree, and if you can master it than you are but a small step away from mastering potions."

The other girl was making Kimiko feel better in spite of herself and she had to ask; "What art is that Sempai?"

Molly wrapped one arm around the smaller girl's shoulders. "Why, cooking of course. If you can make a delicious meal then you can mix a potion any old day. Even that liquid luck Professor Slughorn is always going on about."

Kimiko felt her spirits drop, even as Molly worked to keep them up. "But I don't know how to cook."

"Well then, I'll just have to teach you."

"Now?"

"Why of course. No reason to put it off. We can even start right here."

"Here?" Kimiko squeaked.

"Yes. We'll start with something every civilized girl needs to know how to make, no matter where in the world she is."

"What would that be?" Kimiko was finding the other girl's good spirits to be contagious.

"Why, tea of course."

Drawing Kimiko back to the table, Molly looked around until she spotted a house elf cleaning up across the room. Recognizing the diminutive figure, Molly called out; "Lint, oh Lint."

Coming from across the room, blinking her large eyes owlishly, the house elf answered with a smile for the kind girl and Kimiko could tell that she wasn't the only one to find the red head so easy to like. "Yes Miss Molly, what can Lint do for you?"

"You can fetch a kettle and three cups from the kitchens, then join Kimiko and I for a spot of tea. Would you please?"

The elf's face was split in two by her smile. "Is Lint's pleasure, Miss Molly!" Then the small figure disappeared, only to return a moment later with the requested items, a table cloth and three lace doilies.

Taking the kettle from the house elf, Molly could tell by the weight that Lint had already filled it with the required water. "Thank you Lint. Now the first thing we have to do is boil the water."

"Wait!" Kimiko exclaimed. Rushing to her things she retrieved a quill pen and a familiar, if currently blank notebook of plain lined paper. "I want to write this all down."

Opening to the first page, she wrote; 'How to boil water'.

****

With Monday morning came a return to their regularly scheduled program, awkwardness and discomfort not withstanding.

The first class of the day was Charms, with Professor Flitwick. They were still sitting in with the first years, though the Professor had assured them he was confident that at their present rate of advancement they would learn enough to pass their OWLs at the end of the year. Given that Charms was Ranma's toughest class, Akane's was potions just like her mother, his words gave them hope.

To Ranma's relief the little wizards other prediction was proving to be correct, none of the students seemed to have a clear knowledge of just what happened on Halloween morning. They knew something big had occurred, but with most suffering under the effects of the butter beer no one could say what, or at least no one was willing to say it out loud. Those who hadn't imbibed the tainted treat hadn't been in the Great Hall to see how it began and only knew that two mobs of boys, under the influence of a love filter, had pursued some poor girl through the halls.

A small group of Gryfindor fourth years recognized the red headed friend of Akane's as their unfortunate prey, having gotten a close look just before her dive down the tower stairs, but at Harry Potter's request they weren't speaking of it outside of their house and not to the younger students even within Gryfindor. The older boys were still speculating about it in private though, with each new theory more ridiculous then the last and none coming remotely close to the truth.

Worried about her new friends Hermoine recruited Doby, Harry's elfin shadow, to spy on her house mates. She instructed him to warn her if any of the boys ever mentioned Ranma or Snape's class on Jusenkyo in connection to the event. Doby, as always, was overjoyed to help. Even without the compulsion of a house elf's enslavement, he proved frightfully enthusiastic when given the chance to serve.

The Saotome's second class of the day was Defense Against the Dark Arts with Professor Snape and the old man did nothing to make it pleasant for the young couple. Even in his private sessions with them, sessions he attended under protest, he seemed to only be interested in finding reasons to berate and belittle them. At least in the class room he settled for simply ignoring them.

In spite of his reticence and lack of instruction, Ranma and Akane had already advanced to the third year level. Ranma was especially experienced at dealing with magical threats to his person. Akane had learned by witnessing his struggles, when she hadn't found herself swept up into the wake of the seemingly endless challengers who came seeking him or Chinese princes seeking a bride. It helped that unlike math and history, this was a subject for which Ranma could see a definite use.

Snape had tried, but not even he had been able to come up with good enough reasons to hold them back.

On this particular day the DADA class was being held in the teacher's lounge instead of Snape's dungeon. Entering the familiar room and taking seats behind the standing students, Ranma and Akane watched as the class of thirteen year olds spread out before a large cabinet standing in the center of the room. It was almost seven feet tall, extremely sturdy of build, and held closed by a heavy latch. It was also rocking, occasionally giving a jump as if something within was trying to force its way out.

The thirteen year olds watched it with fearful expectation. Ranma and Akane were just hoping it wasn't more garden sprites, those things had proven annoying. Which of course, was probably the very reason Snape had released them. He certainly didn't stick around to endure the little buggers.

Speaking of tall, dark and somebody gave me wedgies when I was six so I never smile, it looked like it was time for class to start. Professor Snape stepped in front of the cabinet, his still form and dour face standing in sharp contrast to the lively rocking of the cabinet behind him.

"Students, if I may have your attention you may actually learn something. Today I am going to teach you about that terror that likes to hide in dark places, waiting to ambush the weak of will and soft of mind."

Several of the children were now looking at the cabinet with knowing, and fearful glances.

"Yes, I see that several of you are already familiar with today's topic. Inside this cabinet I have captured a boggart."

Neither Ranma nor Akane had ever heard of such a creature before, but given the fearful mutterings of their younger classmates, they knew it must be a horrific monster. They might have wondered how such a thing could fit in the cabinet, but thanks to their experiences with master Happosai they knew that truly dreadful horrors often came in the smallest of packages.

For once Ranma intruded into the class and knowing that Snape would only ignore him if he raised his hand, he blurted out; "What is a boggart?"

Snape gave him a disdainful look, silently waiting as if for an apology, before deciding that it would be expecting too much from the uncouth barbarians Dumbledore had saddled him with.

"For the sake of the ignorant among you, I will answer the question."

Several of the students, especially those wearing the green and silver of house Slytherin, giggled at Ranma's expense. Their own nervousness cutting into their good manners.

"A boggart is a shape shifter," He gave Ranma a meaningful look before continuing. "so much so that no one knows what its natural form may be. It also feeds on fear. Which is why it waits in ambush for the weak, at which point it instinctively takes on the form of whatever they fear most. Dinning on the resultant terror. It is nearly impervious to physical harm, requiring magic to defeat. It is fortunate for you..." He looked over the class with barely concealed contempt. "that it is susceptible to a rather simple spell. One any of you _should_ be able to cast. If you will line up in two rows, side by side. Like sheep you will find safety in numbers. The boggart focuses on the nearest target but in the event that there is more than one it may become confused, giving you the time needed to cast a defensive spell."

Professor Snape went on to explain the use of the 'Riddikulus' spell. Two by two, the students confronted the released boggart. Unfortunately Snape's tendency to belittle them over their exposed fears often undermined their efforts and the professor would be required to rescue them. Each time he did, he forced the boggart to take on the form of a characterized chinaman, with fat cheeks, a shock of red hair bound in a pig tail, and protruding front teeth.

The students all laughed at the ridiculous figure, most never realizing the reasons for its appearance. Ranma and Akane knew and were grinding their teeth.

After the last of the children had faced their fears, the boggart driven back into the cabinet, Snape moved to lock it shut but paused. "Perhaps the Saotomes would care to try. Show us how a _Master_ of the East deals with their fears."

He stepped aside, waving at the students to clear a path from the Saotomes to the cabinet. They were now all staring at Ranma and Akane, anxiously waiting to learn what the older couple feared.

Akane looked from her husband to the cabinet, the anxiety clear on her face, confident she knew what would come out of the cabinet when he approached. Ranma was too angry to give it any consideration. "I ain't afraid of nothing." He said, stepping up before the cabinet.

Akane rushed to her husband's side, even as with a wave of his wand Snape threw open the cabinet and out stepped...well something not even she had expected.

Instead of a cute and harmless kitten, what came out was truly a thing of horror and far from harmless. It was Tatewaki Kuno, wearing only a tight black Speedo and wielding a bouquet of roses which he thrust towards Ranma like it was his bokken.

Overwhelmed by the memory of recent events, the blood drained from Ranma's face even as he took an involuntary step back from this creature of nightmare.

The boggart moved to follow, but Akane seized the opening and placed herself in its path. Its focus changed to a new target, the boggart took on the lush and scantily clad form of Shampoo. Instinctively driven by Akane's fears, the transformed boggart moved to glomp Ranma, only to have its focus changed once again and this time it took on the form of neko-Shampoo. Before Ranma could react, Akane caught the cat like creature across the chest with a sweeping side kick, tossing it back into the cabinet with enough force to rock the wooden box, causing the doors to swing shut.

With a mocking leer on his face and a wave of his wand, Snape caused the doors to latch sealing the boggart within. He didn't know why the cat girl appeared, but he didn't let that stop him from making a snide remark. "I guess given recent events, that was only to be expected."

The students looked from Snape to the Saotomes with confusion, most convinced that the couple had indeed cast the Riddikulus spell. How else would you explain the ridiculous forms the boggart had taken. Well, everything but the girl. The boys were all wishing Akane had left that one a little longer.

Gathering his things, Snape announced to the class; "You are to read chapter eight on Nymphs, Sirens and how to defend against creatures that beguile the mind for class tomorrow."

Breaking free of the overwhelming horror that held him, never having noticed the boggart change into a cat, Ranma called after Snape in challenge. "Tell us Snape, what form does it take for you? What are you afraid of?"

Pausing, Snape turned to answer. "Why, an ignorant fool wasting my time, of course." Then without waiting for a rejoinder, he crossed the room and left with a swish of his long black robes.

Ranma was practically vibrating, the Soul of Ice wrapped tight around his anger. "We need a way to contact your sister in Japan." He whispered to Akane. "I don't know if Cologne will help or not, but somehow we are going to teach that..._jerk_, a lesson."

Akane could only nod in agreement. She was equally anxious and only wished she knew how they were going to do it, even if it meant contacting the Amazons.

****

The days that followed returned to their normal routine, while Akane's nights were filled with dreams. First they were of her mother, watching and learning alongside Kimiko as Molly and Lint taught her how to cook, filling the notebooks pages with recipes and detailed instructions. In time the dreams turned to lessons on potion making, first with her mother, but later with a woman she just knew was Amelia, then others from even further back. Until she was dreaming about the conversations between an ancient ancestor of Amelia's and a French man named Nicolas Flamel.

Akane learned more about potions in her sleep than she did in Slughorn's classes, even if he was often the teacher in both.

Author's notes:

Again, I apologize for this taking so long in coming and promise I have not put it off in favor of my other stories. The last chapter for Kal'Ex was written in only a few hours during my day off and the Fallen was already written. In fact, I have spent more time on Hogwarts than on the others combined, and done more erasing too. Hogwarts is the only story I have mapped out to the end, and the one giving me the most trouble writing. Maybe it is because I know what is coming next, leaving me free to worry over how to write it and rushing to the next big event.

I know this chapter feels like more useless filler, but an important secret was exposed during it. I will expound upon that later.

JWG; You mentioned a collection of screw ups from chapter 1, yes I would appreciate a copy of it. I have re-read this story several times in an effort to spark my muse and in doing so found more mistakes in the first two chapters than things done right ( not the least of which being that there should be ten chapters, not two ). I intend to clean it up and resubmit it at a future date. I would try doing so now but I'm not sure how big of a mess that would create, or if it would break any links people have made for updates etc.. So if anyone has any corrections they could point out, I would appreciate it. The first two chapters were very much on the lower end of the learning curve and I expect a flood, so don't worry about upsetting me by pointing out something I did that was frankly, stupid.

To clarify my handling of Dumbledore, especially in relation to the lack of punishment for Draco, it wasn't intended to be because of arrogance or personal amusement. Reading the books and watching the movies, Dumbledore always struck me as an unrepentant manipulator who took the long view of things. Placing Harry with the Dursleys, using him as bait, sending him after the Horcruxes, even Dumbledore's own demise, all were devices he used to control the way the war played out. The headmaster was concerned because Draco's actions were threatening his control, he left him unpunished because he still had plans for the Malfoy heir. He left Draco alone because it suited his purpose, just as he left Harry out to dry.

Just so you know, yes I was disappointed by the way Rowling ended the story, but after seven books of build up that was kind of expected. Sort of like the Star Wars prequels, how do you make good on years of promises without disappointing.

Fallacies, in answer to your questions about Ranma's magical aptitude, I think this falls under Daniel Stacks complaint that I've been too sparse on the details. I need to include scenes showing what Ranma can do and further explaining the ways of Eastern magic. FYI; Ranma is at least the equivalent of a first to second year student. In some areas even higher. He can cast the simple spells like levitating feathers and unlocking doors. The East does have equivalent spells, they even cast many through the use of wand like objects ( ie: Happi's pipe, Khu Lon's staff and the Saotome Honor Sword), their martially oriented traditions just don't place the same importance on them. They focus almost exclusively on combat skills, teaching 'normal' spells later. Don't think for a moment that Happi doesn't know how to magically open windows, or levitate silky darlings across a room to his grubby paws. Also, Ranma and Akane have suffered under the tutelage of masters who are more concerned with keeping them under control then with actually making masters of them. Ranma has more difficulty learning Western magic than Akane because he has been more thoroughly indoctrinated in the Eastern method. Eventually he will have that proverbial 'click' in his mind, allowing everything to suddenly make sense. Still, unlike Akane he will never become a Western style wizard. Instead he will mostly create his own versions, ones more in keeping with what he knows. I have planned a few spells that will be his own, unique creations and will try to introduce them in training scenes.

C Rose; I admit I haven't done much with Ranma and Akane's martial skills ( or other skills ), instead focusing more on their relationship. I only have two actual fights planned for this story, one at Christmas and the other when the Death Eaters invade Hogwarts. I would like to do something involving Snape or even Lucius, but have yet to think of anything that wouldn't prove too disruptive. I am open to suggestions. To be honest, I'm still not sure how to depict a Western wizard in combat other then to say he waves his wand around and spouts off funny words. Not very satisfying. As for the Ki Mallet, I've always considered it to be an aberration that disappeared from the manga ( likely a reflection of the female author's desire to pound some jerk man in her life ). I do plan on Akane being a weapon user, mostly the Saotome Honor Sword ( after all, Genma isn't the one who carried it for the last ten years and Ranma won't either ). I think you would be more interested in my 'Black Lotus' follow up. If I can pull it off it will be more like a chop sui film, with lots of special effects and wire work. Think 'Big Trouble in Little China' meets 'The Bride With White Hair'. I hope.

Again, thanks to everybody for the comments, criticism and advice. I do try to take advantage of it, even the flames.


	15. Chapter 15 Picking up the Pieces

Chapter 15: Picking up the Pieces

If most things at Hogwarts had returned to the way they were before Halloween there was one thing that hadn't, the gossip. Were before the halls had been filled with talk of teachers, tests, who liked whom, and the fearful mutterings about the news and this dark lord, even the rare comment about the mysterious red head that no one had seen for so long, now the speculation had turned from which house would win the next quid itch match to what really happened that Friday.

While Ranma was grateful that everyone seemed to be forgetting about his female persona, the fear of the students finding out the truth about the events of that morning was much worse. Even worse than his memories of that cheerleader's outfit, ranking right up there with Kuno's declaration of love to the pig tailed girl. He and Akane did take comfort in the fact that none of the wild theories and rampant speculation seemed to connect to them. Why should it? There were only a few people who knew about his curse and none of them seemed to be talking, yet.

Not even Draco.

Oh, he still gave Ranma that condescending smirk whenever their paths crossed, but that was all. Ranma was getting the strong impression that the blonde jerk was distracted, his mind occupied by other things. That was more insulting than even the stunt he pulled in the Great Hall.

Martial arts classes passed uneventfully. Though the younger students were just as excited about Friday's events as everyone else, they tended towards more innocent explanations then the older students. There were fewer hormones involved. As for the older kids, it helped that they were kept busy by learning their first kata.

It wasn't one of the traditional ones taught to beginning students, was actually a new one, a Ranma/Akane original. This kata didn't yet involve any punches or kicks, instead being centered around the possession of a wand and the importance of being an erratic, moving target. Later they would introduce the Finite Incantatem and other blocking spells, before moving on to include offensive spell casting. They intended to work physical blocking and strikes in as they went along. It wasn't wise to be too dependent upon any one attack or worse, object. Not even a wand. Combatants who relied too heavily upon a weapon, like Kuno for example, often proved nearly helpless when it was taken away. This seemed especially true of western wizards who all but gave up when stripped of their wands. Something that was total anathema to Anything Goes.

The older students while having begun learning the kata weeks ago, were proving more resistant to it then their younger counterparts, being overly self-conscious of anything that might make them look stupid. It seems that in their minds a wizard who stands in one place, uselessly waving his wand, is more dignified then one who more fully exploits every resource available. Both his own potential and that of the battlefield. Fortunately they took to strategic thinking with greater ease. Something Ranma warned could be taken too far until it became a liability.

"In a fight" He argued, "one needs to act quickly. Time spent thinking was time spent getting your butt kicked."

After all, the point behind learning katas was to get most of that thinking out of the way _before_ the fight starts.

As before, the professors took turns chaperoning their classes. All except Snape. In the interest of keeping the peace Dumbledore had agreed to let the DADA teacher pass on that obligation.

Flitwick happily took up the slack. Though with him it could hardly be called chaperoning since he spent all of his time down on the mats with the students. In earlier conversations the Charms professor had laid claim to being a great dueler in his youth and Akane was inclined to believe him in spite of his small stature. The little man proved to have quick feet and a quicker mind and he seemed to take pleasure in using both. He was also an avid student, almost as hungry to learn new techniques as Ranma.

On Wednesday it was Professor Sprout who was chaperoning their class, though like usual, that meant she was quietly sitting in the corner with some of the oddest books. In spite of her apparent inattention she watched the Saotomes closely. As a professor she was well aware of the truth of what happened on Halloween and like the others she was on the look out for any potential fall out from the incident, whether from the Saotomes or Draco.

****

Cho entered the dojo hall halfway through their class as she often did on the nights she was slated to tutor Ranma. She always worked with Ranma, just as Hermoine always worked with Akane. Gerald was the only one to work with both and he had yet to pick up the pattern.

When class ended, after the Saotomes sent their young charges off and Professor Sprout bid them a good evening, Cho gathered her things and joined them. As they made their way to the study hall the conversation was kept light, never once endangering their respective comfort zones. That all changed once they entered the study hall where Gerald was waiting to pounce.

"Hey, have you guys heard anything about what happened on Halloween?" Gerald asked the other three when they arrived in the study hall. This was his first day tutoring since the incident and he had been asking everyone that question. Once he brought it up Cho proved equally hungry for gossip.

Neither Cho nor Gerald had reason to suspect Ranma and Akane were in any way connected to the events on Halloween, so the Saotomes tried to pretend nothing had happened and continue on like normal. When that didn't work because the two brain trusts wanted to gossip and speculate about the rumors going around, they played stupid.

It wasn't easy. Akane was finding it hard to keep a straight face while listening to the increasingly wild theories that the two were bandying about.

As for Ranma, he decided that it would be best just to keep his mouth shut. Still, it didn't help that his face was lit up like a porch light in Amsterdam.

For once his reputation as a difficult student paid off. Gerald paid him no mind as he expected Ranma to contribute little to the conversation.

Cho on the other hand, had spent enough time with the pig tailed boy to recognize that he was uncomfortable about something. Most of the rumors involved a bunch of boys hyped up on love potion attacking some poor girl. The nervous glances she saw Ranma casting towards his wife was making her wonder if Akane might not have been the girl in question. After that, Cho invested too much of her attention to studying Akane for signs that everything was alright to suspect that Ranma might be more involved.

Mind full of Akane's feelings, she waited until the study session was over and Gerald left to address her concerns.

"Akane, can I talk to you for a moment?" She asked, giving Ranma a loaded look that made it clear she wanted some privacy.

Ranma was all too glad to comply, abandoning his wife to face the inquisition alone.

"Yea, Akane why don't I take our books back to our room. That way you can talk with Cho and I'll just meet you at dinner, okay?"

Not waiting to give Akane a chance to argue, he scooped her books out of her arms and with a quick goodbye to the Chinese girl, he fled down the hall and out of sight.

"Thanks a lot, Ranma." Akane muttered under her breath, throwing dirty looks at the traitor's back. With great effort, she forced her muscles to relax and wrapping a look of supreme innocence around her, turned to the other girl.

"Sure Cho, we can talk on the way back to your room."

"Uhm...Akane, no one is supposed to know where a house's rooms are located unless they are in that house themselves."

"What? Why not?" Akane asked, confused. Ranma had already told her that Cho's rooms were somewhere in a tower on the west end of the castle. He said you had to answer some hard question to get in.

"I'm sorry Akane, but it's a school tradition. I would tell you if I could, but it's not allowed."

Akane gave her a piercing stare. "Do you know where the other houses are?"

By the guilty look on her face, she was pretty sure the Chinese girl did.

"I'm not supposed to." Was Cho's vague attempt to dissemble.

Akane decided to let it slide because they were friends. "Well then, why don't you just walk towards the Great Hall with me. We'll talk until you have to go another way."

Cho nodded acquiescence, relieved not to have to break a school rule or offend the hot tempered Japanese girl. "That sounds good to me."

After a few steps of awkward silence, Akane decided she would have to start the conversation. Even if she really did want to avoid it, it would look suspicious otherwise.

"What did you want to talk about?" A light of inspiration went on in her mind. "I know, I've recently learned how to make spaghetti, would you like to join Ranma and I for dinner sometime?"

Cho was equally happy to put off the uncomfortable subject and seized upon the momentary diversion. "Sure, that sounds great. Maybe we could invite Hermoine too, I'm sure she would love it."

Hermoine, the reminder of the other girl made Akane nervous. Unlike Cho her curly haired friend did know of Ranma's secret and had probably already figured out exactly what happened on Friday. How could she not? She was there when it all started.

"Sure, that would be fun. I'll see if I can get the use of the kitchen."

They walked on in silence, Akane quietly praying that the other girl had forgotten what she originally wanted to talk about. No such luck.

"Akane..." Cho began nervously. "last Friday...where you the girl who was attacked?"

Akane hid a relieved sigh. She would be able to deny everything without really having to lie to her friend. She was splitting hairs but sometimes that was enough for peace of mind.

"No Cho. I was in the Great Hall, but I wasn't really involved in what happened."

Cho looked relieved, but then a look of consternation came upon her face as she considered Akane's roundabout answer.

"Do you...do you know who was?" She asked.

Akane swallowed hard, her back going stiff. There would be no hiding from that question without lying. Something she wasn't very good at.

"Cho, I...I'm sorry but I can't really talk about that. It involves someone else and it's not my place. I hope you understand?" There, hopefully that would dissuade her from asking further and it wasn't really a lie.

Cho actually looked relieved by her answer. "Yea, sure. I'm just happy it wasn't you. I would hate to see you hurt you know. It does make me wonder what really happened though."

A sickly smile of guilt and worry spread across Akane's face. Cho was nearly as smart as Hermoine and if she kept thinking about it she would eventually figure it out. It was only a matter of time. Maybe it would be best if they let her in on Ranma's little secret. After all she was a friend, they should be able to trust her.

****

When Akane arrived at the Great Hall she found Ranma was already there and seated at the teacher's table. He was deep in a conversation with Professor Flitwick and though she saw his eyes briefly dart in her direction, he pretended to be too engrossed to acknowledge her presence.

'The coward is just avoiding facing abandoning me to Cho.' Akane thought to herself as she sat down between him and Hagrid. After saying hello to the gentle giant, she turned her ear to the conversation between her husband and the small wizard.

"So you never use wands as a focus?" Flitwick was asking, his eyes bright with curiosity.

"No...well, not exactly." Was Ranma's informative answer.

That raised the little man's interest. "So, you do use wands?"

"Uh, sort of. I mean...Happosai, the Grandmaster of our school, uses an old iron pipe to focus his chi much as you do with wands. So you could say he is using a wand of sorts, same with the old ghoul and her staff."

"Really? Are they made the same way as our wands, with a core made from some magical creature?"

Ranma stared at the professor with some confusion, not really knowing how a wand was made, only that his own apparently involved the hair from a unicorn's beard. "I, I don't know, maybe. They do feel the same when used, I can say that for sure."

"But you don't always use a wand to do magic, correct?"

"Aw heck no. Why, until we came to England neither Akane or I had ever so much as held a wand. All of the techniques I knew before we came were done without any material crutches."

"Then how do you focus and direct the magic, your _chi_ I mean?"

"Easy, we just use an emotion."

The answer surprised Flitwick, though when he thought about it he realized it shouldn't have. After all, most potential witches and wizards were discovered because of their involuntary use of magic when frightened or angry. Could this Eastern art just be more of the same?

"Emotion? You mean like anger or fear?"

"Well, sure." Ranma replied. "You could use anger or fear, even depression like my old pal Ryouga, but while those emotions tend to draw more power their hard to control. Better to use an emotion that isn't so...heavy."

"Heavy emotions, are you saying there are light emotions?"

"Yeah, take me for example." Ranma raised his left hand over the table and with a small act of will, caused a yellow ball of chi about the size of a tennis ball to form above his palm. Holding it there for Flitwick to see, he continued his explanation. "I use confidence, the feeling that there's no way I can lose, to focus my chi. Sure it isn't as powerful as Ryouga's depression based Shi Shi Hokidan, but when he does it he destroys everything around him. I, on the other hand, only hit my target. Using anger or fear to focus with does more damage, but it's kind of like swinging around wildly with a big hammer."

Ranma tensed for a moment, waiting for Akane to catch on and hit him. When she didn't he continued with his explanation.

"Using a lighter emotion like confidence though is more like attacking with a steel chopstick. You don't get as much raw power behind it, but you only hit what you aim at and all of that force is focused on a precise point. You can do a lot more with a little power and a lot of control, then you can with a lot of power and no control." Dissipating his ball of chi, he formed his hand into a fist. "That is the difference between a martial artist and some big _thug_ throwing their fists around in a drunken brawl. All the power in the world is useless if you can't control it."

He felt very wise saying that, like one of those old masters in a Shaw Brothers film.

A quietly muttered "Baka showoff." from Akane did deflate his head a little.

Professor Flitwick didn't notice, he was too caught up in the ramifications of what Ranma had told him. It sounded like in the East they had learned to channel their magic in its primal form.

"Remarkable! How do you train? Is it through meditation?"

Ranma was beginning to feel out of his depth. He knew how he did what he did, but explaining it was something else entirely. For the first time it occurred to him that teaching might not be as easy as he once thought.

"Meditation does play a part, but mostly we just train in the art. First you discipline and master your body, that in turn disciplines your spirit and once that happens mastering your chi is bound to happen. That's just the way it works."

"Truly fascinating. So in a way you use not only your emotions but your own body to focus your magic. I wonder if it is the same as house elf magic?"

'House elf magic?' Ranma wondered.

With sincere respect on his face, Flitwick gave Ranma a small bow.

"Thank you Saotome Sensei, you have given me much to think about."

"Uh, your welcome?" A bright red flush climbed from beneath Ranma's collar to encompass his entire face. He had never been treated like this before. Back home even those who recognized his ability did so with tongue in cheek. This, he thought, was something he could get used to.

****

After dinner, once they had returned to their rooms, Akane decided to bring up the question of what to do about Cho with Ranma.

"Ranma."

"Yea?" Ranma answered absently. He wasn't really paying attention to her, instead he was thinking about his conversation with Flitwick. While still frustrated with wand magic he was learning, if slowly, but the aside comment about house elf magic was starting the wheels turning within his head.

Her hands curling into nervous fists, Akane pushed on. "I think we should tell Cho."

"Tell Cho what?" He still wasn't really paying attention.

Akane swallowed nervously. "About your curse."

Now she had his attention.

"_Why_?! There's no reason she should have to know."

He really didn't want to tell her, or anyone for that matter. He just knew that as soon as everyone found out about the curse the madness they left in Nerima would start all over again. "Why can't we just leave it be? No one else need find out."

Akane gave her naive husband a look of long suffering. "Really Ranma, do you honestly believe the curse won't find a way to come out on its own? When have you ever been able to hide it for long?" She grabbed his arm, forcing him to turn and face her. "Remember Mei Lin? You tried to hide it from her and it came out before the second day was over."

Ranma wasn't willing to give into her logic that easily, not when he still had room to argue. "That was just bad luck. What are the odds of another freak rain shower happening?"

She gave him that look again, the one that said your an idiot.

"You mean like the one in the Great Hall? You remember, the _innocent_ prank someone played with the ceiling. Or maybe you can remember the not so innocent one Malfoy played just last week, does that ring any bells?"

Nope, still too stubborn.

"I can do it. I've already gone two months and the only people who know are those who have been told. I just have to be careful. If it wasn't for Snape not even Hermoine would know and she's the smartest student here. Trust me Akane, this will be a piece of cake."

"Cake!" She yelled in disbelief. "You baka! In those two months how many times has your curse come out? The first night you arrived, when you were _distracted._ The demonstration when you were caught in the rain, or the Great Hall when you were _caught_ in the rain! Remember Furinkan, how many times you were nearly exposed. We hid it there for several weeks too, but eventually it did come out and in the most embarrassing way possible."

Ranma cringed at the memory of being a guy in that cheerleading outfit.

"Yea, that." Akane said with some sympathy. "Remember what came afterwards, the way people treated it. Do you want it to be like that again? Wouldn't you like this time to be different?"

Of course Ranma wanted this time to be different, this time he didn't want anyone to find out. Why couldn't he be like everyone else? Why did he have to be the freak? Even in a place where magic was common.

"Ranma, do you want Snape to be the one who decides when and how everyone finds out about it? Do you want to spend the rest of the year dodging water bombs from Malfoy? You know he's going to try again and next time we may not be so lucky."

Ranma gave a snort at the mention of the Malfoy heir. "Don't worry about blondie, we're gonna teach him a lesson he'll never forget."

Akane couldn't contain a sigh of frustration. "No Ranma, we're going to get revenge but it won't stop him from trying again. Instead it's more likely to encourage him, push him to be even more determined to the point of recklessness."

A pleading quality entered her voice as she continued. "Ranma, please, I want it to be different here but that's only going to happen if _we_ make it so. We can't do the same things we did at Furinkan and expect it not to end the same. Besides, I'm tired of the lies, the ones we tell everyone else and...the ones we tell each other."

Ranma was finding that when Akane didn't lose her temper and start yelling it was damn near impossible to deny her anything. He just hoped she didn't hit him with that smile, that would turn him to putty in her hands and that would not be very manly.

"Okay Akane, we'll tell Cho, but she's the only one who finds out! Well, her and that Potter kid, he already knows...and that red head, I think he might know too..."

Ranma's voice trailed off as he realized that too many people already knew. His secret really wasn't much of a secret at all.

Now she hit him with that smile, warming him all the way down to his toes.

"Thanks Ranma and don't worry, by the time we're done no one will think having a Jusenkyo curse is any weirder than...well, then being a witch or wizard. We can do this."

"Yea Akane, we can do this." He didn't sound all that confident, but for her he would try.

****

There was still plenty of time before lights out and Akane pulled out her school books to study, spreading them about the small table in their sitting room.

"Come on Ranma," She said, not looking up. "let's get some studying in before bed."

Studying, while normally one of Ranma's least favorite activities, was also one he had put great effort into since coming to England. At least were magic was concerned. He would be ashamed to admit how much of his private time he had dedicated to the, sadly, mostly fruitless pursuit. There was something he was missing, some integral part of the techniques that without which he would never be able to wield magic with the same ease as Akane and the others.

It was frustrating him to no end.

Even the Shi shi hokidan hadn't been this hard to crack and with it he had only a glimpse of Ryouga's scroll to work with. Here he had actual instructors, ones who wanted him to succeed, and after months of effort he still couldn't figure it out. This had never happened to him before.

Normally when he ran into a new technique he just observed it, compared it to what he already knew, and then worked out his own, if not the actual way seen, to perform the same. This time though he felt like a fish trying to learn how to walk. The way of the wand was totally alien to his experience. He could feel the magic, sense the patterns trying to form, but before he could even finish them they flew apart in waves of chaos. It felt like something was fighting him every step of the way.

He had tried perfecting his wand waving, worked tirelessly on his enunciation when casting the spells, all for not. The frustration of failure ate away at him as he watched first Akane, then her sister Kasumi and even his own mother pick up this new art with bewitching ease.

He wanted to scream in rage and disappointment.

Now though, with one absent minded comment by the Charms professor, the bright light of possibility split the darkness of his despair.

Since coming to England he had foolishly assumed that all magic in the west was the same. Even as he watched Lint in his efforts to learn apirating, even as he recognized that there was something to her way of doing it that didn't seem to work for him, he still assumed that it was really no different if he could only understand.

He wanted to kick himself for being lazy.

What if all he needed was to see magic from a different perspective, an elfin perspective?

"Actually Akane, I think I'll go down to the dojo for a little while."

She gave him a disapproving glare. "Ranma, you aren't going to learn this by running away from it. _You_ _need to study!_"

"I know, but..."

"Ranma! You're the one who is always saying how important it is not to skip practice. How do you expect to learn if you skip studying?"

"I'm not skipping studying. I'm just going down to the dojo to do it."

The look she gave him was at best skeptical. "Are you saying you'll do better down there then in here with me?"

Ranma was caught nodding yes when she added the part about being with her. "Yes-I mean no, of course not, at least...you know what I mean!"

"No Ranma, I don't. Are you trying to say that I'm getting in your way?" She felt the familiar heat of anger rising within her.

Ranma recognized it too and he raced to head it off.

"Akane, it doesn't matter how much I study the moves or the words, there's something I'm missing and until I figure it out this wand stuff just won't work for me. Now I was talking to Professor Flitwick at dinner and he said something that gave me an idea and I'm going down to the dojo to work it out. It's not you...I just can't seem to learn it the way you do. You know I'm not good with books and school, I need to figure this out my way."

Looking at her with more than a little apprehension, he still expected her to find some fault with his words and get angry at him. She was better, but old habits can be hard to break.

Part of Akane did want to blow up at him, the part that tended to act on reflex, but she had gotten better over the summer and without the usual causes of her distrust and insecurities intruding at every turn she now gave some thought to what he truly intended before lashing out. Several days of sleeping alone had driven that lesson home.

"Okay Ranma." She said with a sigh. "You go do it your way and I'll stay here and study the normal way."

There may have been an unintended insult hidden in her words but Ranma was too relieved that she wasn't screaming to hear it, his mind caught up in the puzzle piece Flitwick had unwittingly provided him.

****

After Ranma left, Akane proceeded to lose herself in her text books when the sound of voices beyond the door caught her attention. Upon opening it Akane was surprised to find a distracted Professor Dumbledore standing in the hall outside her room. He seemed to be conversing with the painting hanging on the wall across the way. It was the portrait of an old, gray haired woman sitting in a rocking chair knitting a bright red scarf out of thick wool yarn. Like all of the paintings in the castle it both moved and talked.

The first thing to greet the Saotomes every morning as they left their rooms was the sight of the old woman rocking back and forth, and the clickety clack of her knitting needles. Her name was Matilda Morgan and she always welcomed them with a smile and a cheerful 'Good Morning'.

Akane didn't quite know what to make of the old woman in the picture. She was certainly friendly enough, she just had a tendency to ask Akane uncomfortable and very personal questions about her and her new husband. Sometimes it felt like she was spying on them and Akane seriously wondered if she knew mother Nodoka.

Hermoine had explained about the magic portraits, how they were like a snapshot of the person depicted at that moment. She said they could even travel from one picture frame to another, as long as they were both paintings of the same person. It made her wish she had such a picture of her mother.

Right now the woman in the painting was talking to the grandfatherly figure in the long robes and floppy hat.

"...not a peep after hours but then I reckon their right busy, if you catch my meaning."

At the sound of the door opening, Dumbledore turned from the prattling woman in the painting to address Akane.

"Ah, Mrs. Saotome. I wonder if I might come in and talk to you for a moment?"

"Of course Professor."

"Thank you. If you'll excuse me Mrs. Morgan, I've very much enjoyed talking to you."

"You as well Albus. Good day to you, Akane."

Matilda actually looked up for a moment, just long enough to give Akane a brief nod and smile, before returning to the endless repetition of knit one and pearl two.

Closing the door behind them, Akane gestured to their small love seat.

"Please Professor, make yourself comfortable. Would you like some tea?"

Settling upon the soft cushions of the chair, he answered her; "Yes, thank you. I don't suppose that it is too much to hope that you might have some more of that delightful blend you served last time?"

"Yes sir, I do. Please excuse me a moment while I get some water."

Excusing herself, she took Ranma's small kettle to fill in the bathing room. Ever since he started sleeping in his boy form the magic kettle had seen little use besides warming tea. Just one more way the chaos in their lives had lessened since they left Nerima.

Leaning over the low table she served the tea. Watching the slightly darkened liquid pour into the small porcelain cup, she remembered that during his last visit the Headmaster expressed a liking for the blend and she had promised to inquire with Nodoka about its name.

"I am sorry Professor, but I'm afraid I forgot to ask my Mother-In-Law the name of this tea. I was preoccupied with other things the last time we were in Watford and it completely slipped my mind."

Sensing a rare opportunity while she had his ear, she added; "If we could go back to visit this weekend, I could ask her."

With phantom crocodile tears in his eyes, Dumbledore replied; "I am sorry my dear, but I'm afraid with current circumstances being what they are it would not be prudent for any of the staff to leave while the students remain. As teachers we have a duty to protect them. I hope you understand."

Akane stifled a disappointed sigh, there was no arguing with duty.

"Yes Professor, we understand duty."

Holding out the filled cup, she offered it to him and forgetting himself for a moment, Dumbledore reached out with both hands to receive it. This was Akane's first time seeing his blighted hand and she stared at the blackened digits with encroaching horror. Seeing the direction of her gaze he withdrew his dieing appendage, hiding it once again in his robes.

Akane's curiosity and natural concern for the suffering of another human being wrestled with her Japanese upbringing and the conditioned response not to intrude or pry into an elder's business. Unfortunately for Dumbledore, with her mother's influence stripped from her at such a young age and her father's being mostly absent, the need to respect the privacy of others wasn't driven in deep enough and morbid curiosity won.

"Professor, your hand..."

"I am sorry you had to see that Akane, but don't concern yourself with it. Suffice to say these are trying and difficult times for all of us." Dumbledore wasn't above exploiting the sympathies of others so he added; "However, calm moments like this when I can enjoy a fine cup of tea with such a lovely young lady as yourself, do help to ease the pain. If only all my days could be so worry free."

Akane felt a twinge of guilt, knowing that if she and Ranma succeeded in their planned revenge against Malfoy that day would be anything but calm and pleasant for the Headmaster.

Dumbledore didn't know their plans, but it didn't take a genius to realize that the proud young couple would seek some form of retribution for the distress they had suffered. It was times like this that he really regretted Severus' tendency to let his emotions rule his intellect. This would all be so much easier if he had just done his job as head of house and dissuaded Draco from acting up, or even if he hadn't encouraged the boy. That was not, however, the reason why he had come to see her at a time when he knew she was alone.

"Akane, the last time I was here you showed me an exquisite statue of a jade dragon, may I see it again?"

The sudden, defensive stiffening of her posture was not lost on him. Nor did he miss the likely reason for it.

"I see. Then I take it I am correct in my presumption that your family received it from a witch named Amelia Pendleton and that someone, Miss Braithwaite perhaps, has informed you of Mrs. Pendleton's fate? Maybe even warned you against letting anyone know of your family's connection to her?"

A little frightened and unsure, Akane nodded.

Dumbledore gave her a reassuring smile. "That was wise counsel and I strongly suggest you follow it. Akane, how much do you know about your dragon?"

Inside Akane a war was being waged, a debate over how much she could trust the old man seated across from her. She didn't know how much Dumbledore might already know, certainly more than he should, and anything she told him might come back to haunt her. It was bad enough that he knew about her connection with Amelia. In the end she decided to err on the side of caution and keep her cards close to her vest.

"I know that it belonged to Amelia Pendleton, that it was a family relic and that when she had no children of her own to pass it on to she gave it to my mother. I really can't tell you more than that. Why do you ask?"

Akane wasn't that good at lying, even by omission, and even if Dumbledore had been less sharp, less familiar with the many signs her posture and even tone of voice were giving, he still would have known she was holding something back. To his consternation he had discovered that in spite of both Ranma and Akane's inability to hide their emotions or lie with a straight face, they seemed to be quite skilled at Occlumency. He reasoned that it was a result of the discipline and focus inherent in training for their art.

The old wizard really didn't know too much about the dragon himself, not much more than what Akane had just told him, but what he did know lead him to suspect even more.

"Akane, I am well versed in the treasures of our world and while magical trinkets may be common, true artifacts like Amelia's dragon are unique enough to stand out. Did you know that Mrs. Pendleton's bloodline is one of the oldest in the world, with a written history dating back as far as the eight hundreds and Charlemagne's court, more than a thousand years ago? Yet in spite of their long history they were not a pure blood family and did not carry a singular family name, instead often changing it by marrying with muggles."

Akane hadn't known, in fact all she knew of Amelia Pendleton was the woman's connection to her mother. Having had her hopes of meeting the woman who was a mentor to her own mother dashed with the news of her death, Akane was excited by the possibility of learning more.

"No Professor, I didn't know."

Giving her a small, knowing smile, Dumbledore sipped his tea before continuing with his tale.

"Yes, in our society where so many place great significance on maintaining pure blood lines between magic families, Amelia's own would normally have been lost in obscurity but two things kept their line linked together. The first was possession of your dragon..."

Pausing, he searched his audience's face for any clues of what she might know.

"The second was a history of giving rise to witches and wizards who were often masters of old, obscure and mostly forgotten magical lore." He gave a small chuckle. "While you may not share blood with her, by possessing the dragon you have become the heir to that line. In fact, your knowledge of the Eastern arts would seem to follow the families other tradition as well."

He leaned closer, as if about to impart some secret knowledge.

"Akane, did Miss Braithwaite tell you of Amelia's fate?"

Akane swallowed with difficulty, uncomfortable with the morbid turn the conversation was taking.

"She told us that she was murdered by a dark wizard, but that no one knows why."

The old wizard nodded. "Yes, Lord Voldemort killed her but I have my own suspicions as to why."

Placing his tea cup upon the table, Dumbledore leaned back on the love seat, his left hand slowly stroking his beard in thought.

"A few years before Voldemort's uprising he sought to obtain several ancient treasures, though I don't know why. Perhaps he thought to learn some forgotten secret by studying them, or perhaps he merely felt that as the self proclaimed dark lord they should rightfully belong to him. What ever his reason, Amelia's dragon would doubtless have caught his interest and I believe his desire to obtain it was the reason for her murder."

He waited, giving Akane a chance to realize the significance of what he said. It didn't take her long.

"Professor, do you think he still wants it?" She asked, nervously licking her lips, which had suddenly gone dry.

"Akane, while Voldemort may be distracted by things of greater import he never forgets his past desires...or those who thwart them."

He gave the Japanese girl an intense look, his eyes burning with deadly earnest.

"If Voldemort once sought to claim your dragon then yes, he will seek it again and he will not hesitate to murder for it. I can not impress upon you enough how important it is that he never learns you have it."

Hands slightly trembling, Akane sipped her tea. In inheriting the dragon she may, like her mother, have become Amelia's heir but she had no desire to share her fate.

Author's notes;

This chapter was written in piecemeal and hopefully I managed to tie it all together in a way that flows, otherwise I would have posted it last week. I know it feels like more filler and really could have been just part one of the next chapter, which will contain Akane finally learning the origins of her dragon, Ranma getting a handle on what he has been doing wrong, and Cho learning about Ranma's little problem.

I know most, if not all who read this, are disappointed in the Bogart scene. Yes, I realize it would have been the ideal time to bring up the neko-ken, but I have reasons for being hesitant to do so and nearly nixed the whole scene for that very reason. If it wasn't for the fact that I had already written up the line about Snape's underwear I would have.

There are three problems with the neko-ken;

One, I already have plans for finally dealing with it in the follow up story.

Two, I don't intend for it to play a role in the last battle and I haven't yet come up with a good explanation for why the Death Eaters wouldn't try to exploit his fear. At least long enough to hit him with the killing curse.

Three, I don't want to pull a Lupin, as in someone leaked to the parents about your little problem and now they are afraid while in that out of control state you might be a danger to their little kiddies.

Taechunsa wrote me a list of several things he would like to see in this story, and happily I think I have figured out a way to include them all ( with the possible exception of the neko-ken. I could have McGonagal help Ranma with that, but I would have to scrape or modify my other plans.). I always intended to introduce the Saotomes to brooms and would already have done so if I hadn't gotten distracted by racing from one planned event to the next. I've been trying to pull back from doing that.

In addition, thanks for the list of spell ideas. I've been going over it and others ( Wikpedia is helpful ) and fully intend to incorporate them ( including the pressure point idea ).

My thanks for the reviews and to those who shared their thoughts.


	16. Chapter 16 Revelations

Chapter 16: Revelations

Upon entering the dojo, Ranma gave it a quick look over to see if Lint was already there. When she proved not to be he called out her name as if to summon her. He didn't know how she knew, but whenever he or Akane would call out her name the little elf would quickly appear.

Maybe it was the same way the old pervert always seemed to appear whenever someone in the Tendo home said his name. Something to consider.

Ranma's ideas of what was and wasn't possible had been forced to undergo severe reconstruction since coming to Hogwarts. Here the impossible was just another decoration on the wall.

Within moments of his call, he heard the faint but distinctive 'pop' of Lint's arrival.

"Good evening Ranma Sensei, what may Lint do for you?"

The Saotomes asked everyone to refer to them as 'Sensei' when in the dojo, but so far Lint was the only one to regularly do so. The younger students would often slip up, most of the time calling them 'Professor' like the other teachers. The older students, even those who were willing to learn, insisted on calling them by their first names. As if denying that they were anything more than fellow classmates. It was an unwitting form of disrespect, but after two weeks of trying to correct them Ranma and Akane had given up.

"Hey Lint, I was hoping you could help me practice magic."

A sick feeling came over Lint, turning her face green. She had observed the Saotomes practicing several times and she had no desire to end up like one of the practice dummies. She couldn't be repaired with the quick wave of a wand. She looked up at Ranma, giving him those big doe eyes.

"How can Lint…help?"

Ranma was too excited to recognize the signs of fear she was so obviously showing.

"I just need you to cast of few spells while I watch. I figure if I can compare how you do magic to how everyone else does I might, you know, figure it out. So could ya do it?"

The knot in Lint's stomach relaxed upon hearing his words. If she was going to be the only one using magic, and Ranma _only_ watched, then there was no chance that anyone would be hurt. Concern replaced by an eager desire to serve, Lint gave Ranma her biggest smile.

"Lint would be happy to. What should Lint do first?"

Ranma looked about the room, seeking inspiration among the targets and practice mats. What should he have her do? It would have been great if she could create his own signature chi ball, but he was sure the little elf was too timid to call up the confidence necessary and he wasn't about to 'kick' her down so she could cast Ryouga's Shi Shi Hokidan. No, he would have to settle for one of the western spells he had been learning. Something simple, something he could already do, at least some of the time.

Scratching the back of his head, Ranma struggled for ideas. Maybe he should have asked for Akane's help after all.

"Okay, uh, can you…can you make a light, like wizards do on the end of their wands?"

Lint was actually bouncing on the balls of her feet, she was so excited.

"Yes Sensei Ranma, Lint can do."

Holding out her cupped palms, much as Ranma did when demonstrating his chi control, Lint caused a small pinpoint of light to form about an inch above her hands.

Crouching down, Ranma studied the elf and her little light intently. He could do this particular spell with or without a wand, though he found it harder to maintain when using a wand. Watching the flow of chi between Lint and her spell, observing the eddies and swirls, the patterns that formed, he was both excited and dismayed by what he found. Professor Flitwick was right, Lint was using an emotion to channel her chi, much as Ranma did. She was using her desire to serve. Still, it wasn't the same, there was still something he could only define as alien to the elf's magic.

Taking out his wand, Ranma cast the spell the way Mei Lin taught him.

"Lumos."

There was a brief moment of struggle as the spell seemed to resist being cast, but soon a bright flare appeared on the tip of his wand. Holding the spell he compared it to Lint's, it wasn't easy. Something within the spell was constantly working to disrupt its matrix. A hidden force of chaos that wrestled with him for control. An element that he still couldn't identify, even with the house elf's help. Speaking of the elf.

"Sensei's spell would work better if he only cast it once, with his wand."

She said to him, intruding on his focus in her nauseatingly subservient voice. It was distraction enough for him to lose the spell.

"Aughh!" He growled in frustration. "I am casting it with my wand!" He answered, waving the object in question.

Lint cringed away from his misplaced wrath.

"Yes, but if Sensei only cast with his wand, it would work better." She tried to explain.

Ranma stared hard at his wand, as if trying to intimidate it into obedience with the fury of his gaze.

Deciding to try casting a spell he had already mastered, he turned and pointed his wand at one of the practice dummies at the far end of the hall. Aiming he tried something he never had before, he summoned his signature chi attack, the Moko Takabisha, through the wand instead of his emotions. Feeling his chi flow into the wand he watched as the yellow sphere began to form at its tip, only to come apart long before it reached the critical mass necessary for launching.

Drawing several deep breaths to calm himself, he tried again, this time taking it extra slow and careful, eyes watching for the point were it would all start to fall apart.

He saw the chi flow into the wand and down its length, gathering at its point. He watched the inherently unstable matrix form into a sphere, felt it's aura of confidence as it grew.

Eyes opening wide with sudden realization, he watched as his spell fell apart.

"Aughh! Akane is right, I am a baka!"

Raising his wand again, he cast the light spell once more. Focusing his senses on the small flare, he could just detect the slight aura of confidence it radiated.

A smile of childlike joy spread across his face as he lowered his wand and turned to his short companion.

"You were right Lint, I wasn't just casting it with my wand! I can't believe I was so stupid! I've been pushing my emotions into my casting like I do in my art. Thanks Lint, you're a genius."

The house elf wore an equally big smile, overwhelmed with joy at his praise and that she was able to help.

Scratching at the back of his head with the tip of the Para wood wand Ranma contemplated how he could train himself to keep his emotions separate from his chi while using his wand, without creating a bad habit that would inhibit his proficiency in his own art.

"Probably gonna take meditation or something boring like that." He mused quietly.

Ranma spent more than an hour playing with his wand, casting every spell he knew and contemplating how he could go about fixing his little problem, but try as he might he just couldn't separate his confidence from his chi. He had been using it too long, it was a reflex, almost instinct. He wished there was someone he could turn to for help but the only one he could think of that he could trust was Dr. Tofu and he was still in Japan, a long way from Hogwarts. Finally he gave up for the day and returned to his and Akane's rooms where he found his wife already dressed for bed in her favorite yellow pajamas.

Seated upon the foot of the bed, Akane's eyes were focused on the dragon statuette resting upon the fireplace mantle. She nearly jumped out of her skin when he entered.

"Oh! Ranma, it's you." She held her hand against her breast bone as she turned her eyes his way. He could see that she was flushed and he was willing to bet her heart was racing.

"Hey Akane, what's eating you?"

"Ah, nothing, I…" She hesitated, nervously chewing upon her lower lip. She really wanted to talk to someone about what Dumbledore told her, but she just knew that if she told him he would get all overprotective on her. It didn't help any that part of her wanted someone to hold her tight and promise that everything was okay, that they would protect her.

Ranma refused to accept that and tried again.

"Come on Akane, don't give me that. Something's got you all worked up, so spit it out."

Even as he asked the question a part of him was dreading the answer, racing to recall what he might have said or done to upset her. Try as he might the effort was futile, he just couldn't think of anything.

She hadn't seemed angry when he left, unless of course she had found a reason to get mad after he left, but that usually only happened when one of the others ( fiancée or rival ) interfered and they were all back in Japan. Not even P-Chan had been around, at least not since his visit in Watford. Ranma rather hoped that Ryouga's 'accidental' visits were over, along with his playing the role of Akane's pet.

The look on his face, the tone of his voice, it wasn't hard for Akane to deduce that he was wondering what he had done, even as distracted as she was. It irritated her that he was so quick to think she was going to lose her temper. She knew she wasn't that bad and she was right, at lest she wasn't since leaving Japan.

"I'm not mad at you baka."

Searching her eyes and seeing no anger there, at least none directed towards him ( Akane was too distracted by what Dumbledore had told her to get angry at him for thinking she was angry at him ). He was in the midst of releasing a relieved sigh, when even more dreadful possibilities occurred to him.

"It ain't mom or Kasumi is it? Did something happen?" He knew he shouldn't have left them alone and unprotected in a strange land. His fear and anxiety were quickly growing to match Akane's as his imagination paraded one potential tragedy after another across the stage of the theatre in his mind's eye.

Her jaw now clenched in exasperation, Akane shook her head no.

"Pops? Your dad?" Ranma sounded out the other possibilities, moving on from one to the next as her head shaking grew progressively more emphatic.

"Nabiki? Ucchan? Ryouga? The Amazons?…._Newt_? Come on Akane, give me something here!"

Akane wasn't the only one who could prove frustratingly single minded once she got the bit in her teeth and she knew that Ranma wouldn't let it go until she told him, no matter how much she might yell at him. His drive to protect the people who were important to him was too great, it would refuse to be brushed aside.

Resigning herself to putting up with his tendency to blow everything out of proportion, Akane set out to tell him about her conversation with the headmaster.

"Nothing is wrong with anyone, they're all fine. While you were practicing Dumbledore paid me a visit."

Ranma was on his feet and halfway to the door, determined to hash it out with the old wizard, when two words from Akane drew him up short, locking his legs together so he couldn't walk.

"Locomotor Mortis." She said, wand in hand.

"Now will you let me explain before going off half cocked to start a fight?" She hissed out.

Ranma didn't really have a choice but he refused to submit, so instead of answering he hopped in place until he was facing her. The expression on his face was not a happy one.

"Well, I'm waiting." He finally said when she continued to just stare at him, fuming.

"If I release you will you come and sit down…" She patted the bed beside her suggestively. "or will you insist on making a fool of yourself by starting a fight for no reason?"

The fury in his eyes, the tightening of his neck and jaw, and the clenching of his fists let her know that he felt he had plenty of reasons to start a fight, with anyone, but after a moment he willfully forced his muscles to relax, giving her a tight nod.

"I'm listening."

"Good." She released him from the entrapping spell and while patting the bed beside her, she set the wand down.

Legs still a little stiff, if from anger now instead of magic, Ranma joined her on the bed. He sat a full arms length away from her but guessing that the fight wasn't over, Akane slid over against him.

"Professor Dumbledore came to tell me about Amelia…and how she died."

"I thought she was killed by that kook, Moldy wart something?"

A small smile escaped onto her lips at his intentional mispronunciation of the dark lord's name. Even when they weren't present, Ranma still couldn't refrain from insulting his opponents. Genma had trained him too well.

"She was, but Dumbledore told me why he killed her. Something Mei Lin didn't know."

Letting out a deep breath, she took his hand in hers, already guessing how he would react to what she was about to tell him. "He killed her for the dragon."

She nodded towards were the jade statuette rested upon the mantle, leaving no doubt as to what dragon she was referring to.

She had been right about how he would react and it was only her tight hold upon his hand that kept him there beside her.

"Then let's get rid of it. Let him search for it somewhere else!"

"No!" She yelled back, surprising him with the vehemence in her voice. "It belonged to my mother and she left it to me. It was hers, given to her by Amelia and I will one day leave it to my own children. I refuse to give it up just because some murderous mad man thinks it should be his. If Voldemort wants it he'll have to get through me first!"

Looking into her eyes, Ranma was torn between his fear for her life and the thrill of excitement that went through him at the fire he saw within them. He felt a surge of pride at the determination and courage he saw there, but this was her life they were talking about and he wouldn't risk it…for anything.

"But Akane, what if he tries and gets lucky. Is a stupid statue worth dying for?"

"It's not a stupid statue Ranma, it's mine and I won't throw it away out of fear. Besides, he doesn't know I have it. That's what Dumbledore came to speak to me about, he advised me to keep it hidden."

Leaning in closer, she let an amused smile overtake her lips, injecting a little humor into the situation in hopes it would help calm him down. "It's not like the Dork Lord could take it from us anyway. As soon as he tried to wave his wand we would just hit him in the nose."

They were Ranma's own words, spoken when one of their students asked about his duel with Draco. It worked, appealing to his pride drove the fear from his countenance, replacing it with his customary confidence.

"Yea, he's got nothing on us. If he tries anything we'll make him swallow his pride and his wand. He'll be crapping splinters for a week."

Akane giggled at his boast and the sound caused a warm feeling to grow in his chest, but deep down in his belly he felt a sliver of fear and he swore to himself that no one would harm one hair on her head. He would die before he allowed Voldemort near her. No, he would kill before he let anything happen to his tomboy.

That night as she slept Akane took comfort in her husband's sheltering embrace, but her thoughts were focused on the dragon. So it was that when sleep did finally overtake her she wasn't surprised when her dreams held that surreal quality, that sense of being more concrete than the normal wisps that made up a dreamscape, that she had learned to associate with the magic of the statuette.

What did surprise her was the context of the dream.

She wasn't at the Hogwarts of the past, the home of her parents, or even in some ancient wizards study. She wasn't overhearing lessons on magic, the daily lives of a loving family, or obscure discussions on magical theory. What she heard was the babble of a crowded market place and the cries of boisterous merchants hawking their wares.

Like a ghost, invisible to the people that now seemed to flow past and even through her, Akane stared in wonder at her new surroundings. It was a street unlike any she had ever seen before, including Daigon Alley.

The road upon which she stood was made of cobblestone worn smooth by the passing of countless feet, even as narrow grooves had been cut in paths by the turning of wooden cart wheels. The buildings were the drab brown of mud brick and the air was far dryer than the humid air she was used to. The crowd surging around her had the swarthy coloring, dark hair and eyes, that was common to the Mediterranean.

Not one had the ephemeral fold that marked a person as Asian.

Most wore long robes of light weight materials but here and there she saw what could only be called togas like the Greeks and Romans wore, and everyone wore sandals ( It was like being trapped at a tree hugger's convention ).

Eyes wide, Akane took in the ebb and flow of the crowded market, not understanding a word they said, yet still somehow knowing what they meant. Her vision panned over the faces and sights around her until her attention was brought to a jarring halt as her eyes fell upon a face that was different, one that did not belong in the setting of the city around her.

There, leading a long haired pony like those common to the steps of China, was in fact a chinaman. Dressed in robes of silk and cotton, dusty from the road, with a tall black silk hat that seemed to point down like an arrow marking his place in the crowd. He was also the only one not wearing sandals but high slippers made from multiple layers of sturdy cloth instead.

Like her, he seemed to be marveling at his surroundings, trying to take in everything at once like some ancient world tourist.

Akane was just starting to giggle at his open mouthed look of wonder, when her total attention was arrested by the accessory riding on the man's left forearm. There, wrapped around his wrist like an oversized bracelet, was a jade dragon. The same dragon that once adorned her mother's neck, the same that now stood proud upon the fireplace mantle of her own room at Hogwarts.

So enraptured was she, she failed to notice as the crowds faded into mist, the rakish noise of the market replaced by the faint flows and drips of gurgling water. All but the chinaman who now stood as if an image frozen on film.

Finally realizing that her surroundings had changed and recognizing this place of mists, she searched among the dimly seen stone columns and still pools for a glimpse of jade scales.

"Kouryuu?" She called out tentatively, this only being her second time talking to the statue, the spirit in her dreams.

"Yes Akane Tendo." The voice echoed back, making it impossible to deduce its source.

Deciding that for the moment she would let go her desire to see the face that went with the voice, Akane instead sought to satisfy her other curiosity.

"Who is this?" She asked, waving her hand at the still figure of the only other visible occupant of the mists.

"This…" Kouryuu answered back, a certain reverence ringing in his voice. "is Wu Tung, my first master and the sorcerer who carried me from the ancient kingdom of Qin, in what you know as China, to what was then the rising empire of Rome in the west. His was the first voice I knew."

"Is he…" Akane hesitated, not sure how to phrase her question since she really didn't understand Kouryuu's nature. "Was he the one who…created you?"

"No, not in the way you are thinking. While it was his thoughts that first gave form to my own, my actual physical creation was the work of many, far more experienced sorcerers. Perhaps it would be easier for you to understand 'who' I am, if I first explain 'what' I am and why I was created."

Eager to learn more Akane nodded yes. While her eyes turned from studying the image of Wu Tung, back to searching the mists for a glimpse of Kouryuu.

With a chuckle for her earnest efforts, Kouryuu began his narration as Wu Tung and the mists disappeared to be replaced by images of long ago.

The first to appear was another chinaman, older than Wu Tung, he might have been the same age as Dr. Tofu, but that is where the resemblance ended. Were Tofu's face was soft, his eyes filled with compassion, this man's face was hard, his eyes intense and demanding.

Dressed in ancient armor over silk robes with a helmet in his hands and a long, straight sword at his side, there was nothing soft or forgiving in his expression or stance. Instead it seemed to scream 'I own you', either that or 'I'm going to kill you', it was hard to tell which.

He was standing on a hill top overlooking the plains of western China, his troops arrayed before him. Across the way, atop another hill, waited the proud army of the neighboring kingdom of Zhou, ancient China's answer to Greece.

"This" Kouryuu said "is Shi Huangdi, newly raised king of Qin. His father spent his youth in the court of the neighboring kingdom of Zhao as little more than a hostage to keep the peace. There he met Shi's mother, a witch and concubine who belonged to this man…" Another, older man appeared on the hill top dressed in the long, rich robes of a merchant and scholar. "Lu Buwei, a crafty wizard who helped maneuver Shi's father onto the throne. From his mother Shi inherited the gift of magic, from Lu Buwei the ambition to conquer all five nations of the middle kingdom, creating the form of a united China that still exists today. With Lu Buwei at his side, Shi set out on his march of conquest by first doing something no king had ever done before; he gathered men of magic from all five kingdoms and not just as eunuchs, though he still had plenty of those to. By bringing these wizards together he, perhaps unintentionally, created what became known as the Lotus Society. While not truly a nation to themselves as the ministry is here in England, the Lotus Society brought together a large number of wizards in cooperation for the first time in the history of Asia. With the support of this society Shi succeeded in conquering Zhou and the five kingdoms, creating the first Chinese Empire and declaring himself to be the First Sovereign Emperor."

Akane interrupted. "I learned about this in school, but I don't recall any mention of wizards."

"Would you honestly expect to?" Kouryuu asked. "The non magical world has worked hard to forget the wizards of the past and with good reason."

"Why?" She asked. "Magic isn't inherently bad. We're not Christians, believing it comes from some devil. In fact, I can see how it would have definitely been a benefit to people without technology."

"No…" Kouryuu responded. "magic isn't bad and it _could_ have been beneficial, if Shi Huangdi had been a benevolent ruler but he wasn't. He was a butcher the likes of which this world has only been cursed with a handful of times. Understand little Tendo while Shi was merciless in his conquests, he was far worse when exercising his dominion over his empire. He ordered his two half brothers murdered to secure his throne, had five hundred priests butchered because they spoke out against his policies, then banished his own first born son for speaking out against that slaughter. He spent the lives of tens of thousands to build his great wall, a symbol of his possessions, but worse, he allowed millions of his people to starve while he spent the resources that should have fed them on building that wall. Then…he grew worse."

Kouryuu hesitated, his voice when he continued lacking confidence.

"Akane, what I tell you now…much of it happened after Wu Tung carried me from our homeland and I learned second hand, or even later from the muggle histories, but I believe it to be accurate if lacking in details. Once Emperor Shi felt secure on his throne he, like many other sorcerers in both the East and the West, became obsessed with his own mortality. Fearing death and the many enemies who awaited him in the afterlife, the Emperor ordered the Lotus Society to discover the secrets of immortality. It was to this end that Wu Tung came to Rome, and I and my brothers were created."

"Your brothers?" Akane interrupted. "Are you saying that there are other dragons?"

"Yes." Kouryuu answered, not bothered in the least by her intrusion on his lesson. After two millennia of existence and countless bearers, he was well acquainted with all of the foibles of humanity. Her forceful personality and forthrightness was actually quite mild compared to some of those who came before her.

Amelia and Kimiko had been very relaxing.

"Four dragons were created; jade, obsidian, silver and one of purest gold which remained with the Emperor himself. With the exception of gold, each was given to a bearer and sent out in search of magical knowledge. I was sent west, my brother of silver sent east in search of the island of Penglai Shan, legendary island of the immortals, and obsidian was sent south into the jungle. We were created to gather and store knowledge. Everything that occurs around us, even the very thoughts of our respective bearers, are ours to know. In turn our spiritual essence has been shaped by those who carry us. I am an amalgamation of all who came before and a repository of all their knowledge. I carry two thousand years of learning. Many of the secrets known to me have been lost to all others. Please don't think I am merely vain when I say that I am probably one of the greatest treasures in the world."

"I wonder if that was why this Voldimort wanted you…" Akane couldn't finish the thought, not sure how Kouryuu would react. It didn't matter, he knew what she wouldn't say.

"Yes, I do believe that is why he murdered Amelia and her husband, William. I am greatly saddened by their fate, while I am also gratified to know that he gained nothing for slaying them. Akane, I loved your mother, but truly for the first time I feel no regret that Amelia had no blood children of her own to pass me to. If she had, if I hadn't gone to Japan with your mother, then that child would also have been murdered and I would likely be in the hands of that vile cretin…I must admit, a part of me wishes to flee this island and return to your own, safely beyond his reach."

"Don't worry Kouryuu, I won't let him take you without a fight." Akane promised, trying to sound braver than she felt.

"Akane," He responded. "don't take this the wrong way, but I would rather he have me without a fight, then for you to die trying to protect me."

Akane drew upon all of her experience with Ranma, doing her best to mimic his confidence. "Nonsense," She said. "Ranma and I can deal with this Voldimort. After all, we did beat Saffron and he _is_ an immortal. Besides, there is no way he can even get to us here at Hogwarts. This place is sealed up tighter than the Imperial palace."

"I hope you're right little Tendo. For now, I think you need your rest. I will finish my tale another time."

As the mists began to fade into the vapors of dreams, Akane called out; "Will I ever get to see you?"

"Soon Akane, soon."

The next morning, over breakfast, Ranma told Akane about his discovery the night before.

"Ranma, I really think you should write Dr. Tofu about it. If anyone can help I'm sure it would be him."

Akane refused to even consider Cologne or Happosai. While she knew both would likely posses the knowledge her husband needed, she also knew that each would require their own unacceptable form of payment for their help. If they actually helped instead of just working towards their own amusement.

Ranma's face scrunched up in annoyed frustration.

"I already thought of him Akane, but how can he help when he's still in Nerima? I can't exactly drop by the clinic for study sessions tomboy."

She rolled her eyes in exasperation.

"No, but in Kasumi's last letter she told me that Dr. Tofu will be coming with our fathers over Christmas break. If you write him about it now he can probably help you with it then."

She could tell he didn't like the idea of asking for help, even from Tofu, someone he trusted ( Sort of, Ranma still remembered the dirty trick the Doc played, paralyzing his legs. If it wasn't for his curse he would have had to spend the night in the street, cause there was no way he would have let Akane carry him home as a guy ).

"Come on Ranma," She interrupted his musings on the past. "what do you have to lose? You know, you don't have to do everything on your own. There is nothing wrong with getting help from your friends." A sly smirk came over her face. "Or would you rather ask Snape? I'm sure he would be happy to help you lose your confidence."

A crud snort was her answer.

"Yea, right. Just because he'd be willing, don't mean he'd be able. About the only thing Professor Snape can challenge is my patience. He's too much like the old pervert, equating teaching to proving his own superiority." He grew contemplative. "I would ask Flitwick but while he's willing to learn about the art, he doesn't know enough to be of much help. Maybe Dumbledore…nah, he isn't around enough. Seems to be common with headmasters. At least he's better than Kuno."

They both shivered at the reminder of their former bane and principal. They both also quietly vowed not to mention him again.

Akane looked away, trying to appear casual. "Maybe…" In spite of her best efforts, she still hesitated. "Maybe Hermoine or Cho could help."

She winced as Ranma gave her a piercing look.

"Okay Akane, what is it now? I already agreed to your little plan to tell her, so what are you hinting at?"

Steeling her resolve, Akane turned to look him in the eye.

"Ranma, I've been thinking about trying to get access to the kitchen tonight."

"Tonight!" He sputtered, finding it hard to get the next word out. "Why? I mean…what's the rush? There's no reason we have to do this so soon, why not wait till after Christmas?" 'Or never' he silently added.

Akane didn't practice Legilimency, she couldn't read his mind, but she knew him better than to need to use magic to cheat. She knew exactly what he was thinking. It was the same thing he always thought when confronted with telling people about his curse; 'I don't want to'. By now it was as much reflex as embarrassment and she didn't foresee that changing at any time in the near future, or ever.

"Ranma," She worked hard to sound supportive, not confrontational. "we've already gone over this and you admitted yourself that several people have already found out. Secrets don't keep and if what Hermoine has told me is true, then they especially don't keep at Hogwarts."

Akane placed a comforting hand on his arm before continuing.

"I don't want to go through that again. I don't want to watch as you go through it again. This time let us be the ones to decide when and how it comes out, at least with Cho. Aright?"

Ranma didn't like it but he couldn't think of a good enough reason to put it off, not after already agreeing to do it.

"All right, whatever Akane. I just hope Cho doesn't react like Uchan, I don't need another shower."

Akane succeeded in obtaining access to the kitchen and Cho was quietly making her way down into the regions of the castle that was the nominal domain of the house elves, who were even now studiously working on the evening meal.

Students were generally required to attend dinner in the Great Hall with the rest of the school, but the Saotomes were technically professors and while they weren't accorded the same authority and freedoms as the other teachers, they were given more leeway than students. As long as they taught their classes on time, the Japanese couple were free to move about the school grounds as they desired. They had the authority to assign detention and dock points from students and their houses ( No one had told them they had that authority, but they held it all the same ). They also had the authority to request the presence of students, as long as it didn't unduly interfere with their education or the classes of the other professors.

Akane had requested the presence of Cho and Hermoine for dinner, which is why Cho now found herself meeting Hermoine in the hall outside the kitchens.

"Hello Cho."

"Hermoine, I'm glad you could join us. Akane seems unsettled about something and I think she could use all the support she can get."

The smiles the two shared were honest ones, if a little strained. Cho and Hermoine had much in common, even discounting their connection through Harry. Both were very intelligent, hard working and plagued by incessant curiosity. The year before, with all the time they had spent working together in Dumbledore's army, they had been well on their way to being the best of friends. It was at Hermoine's urging that Cho joined the underground group against her parents whishes and their friendship managed to survive even the failure of Cho's budding relationship with Harry.

Then Umbridge came through the wall into the Room of Requirement, ripping both masonry and the army of students to shreds.

They had been betrayed.

The informant, Marietta, was one of Cho's friends and another member of House Ravenclaw. Marietta followed Cho into the secret order and the Chinese girl felt not only the tug of friendship, but the weight of being responsible for getting the other girl involved. After Umbridge forced the secret from Marietta, when the other students turned against her for betraying them, Cho stood beside her friend.

Then Hermoine's hex came out. The Gryfindor had placed a curse on the society's sign up sheet that subjected anyone who betrayed its secrets to being publicly branded. It wasn't pretty and more than a little spiteful and it put the final kabosh on their friendship.

They weren't enemies, or even developing into rivals like Ranma and Ryouga, but between the fallout of Umbridge's actions and the ghost of Cedric Digory hanging over her, Cho had been slowly moving further and further away from the Potter group.

It's part of the reason she had latched onto the Saotomes so quickly. Cho's relationships with the other students at Hogwarts had all suffered from the events of the previous year, Ranma and Akane weren't part of that. With them she was starting with a clean slate.

The two girls were not hostile towards each other, remaining cordial, but as they entered the kitchen together there was a palpable sense of a wall between them.

Inside they found Akane and a rather petulant Ranma waiting. Akane was dishing up several large plates of spaghetti noodles slathered in a thick tomato sauce. It looked and smelled delicious.

Ranma was nervously watching, as if he expected the noodles to suddenly attack him. He just knew that after Cho invited them to share victuals, Akane would want to return the favor and damn the consequences. Wasn't it punishment enough that he was being forced to tell one of the few friends he had at the school his shameful little secret, did Akane really have to poison them as well?

"Oh, Hermoine, Cho, thank you for coming. Please have a seat, dinner will be ready in just a moment. We're just waiting for…"

Akane's greeting was cut off in mid breath as the house elf, Lint, appeared at her elbow bearing a small basket of bread sticks. Akane hadn't mastered the art of making bread yet, she used too much yeast and the results nearly devoured several elves before they could beat it down with pans and large wooden spoons.

Fortunately Lint was only too happy to help, if only for the sake of self preservation, and she quickly volunteered to make the bread sticks for her.

"Thank you Lint." Akane said, gracing the small lady with the warmth of her smile.

"Your welcome Mrs Akane." Lint was in heaven, there was nothing a house elf loved more than knowing that their efforts were making those they served happy.

"Yea, thanks Lint." If possible, Ranma was even more grateful for the small elf's help. Tearing his fearful gaze from the intimidating plate of noodles Akane had placed before him, he stared hungrily at the contents of the basket in Lint's arms. After all, the bread would likely be all he had to eat for the evening.

Speaking of eating.

With the newly arrived bread sticks in place, the girls joined him at the table. All but for Lint. Akane had invited her to join them, just as her mother often did, but Lint had declined citing her work in the kitchens with the other elves.

Holding his fork tightly in his fist like a weapon, Ranma watched nervously as Hermoine and Cho took up their own forks loaded down with limp noodles coated in Tomato sauce that was eerily reminiscent of bloody entrails. He was sure that he was about to lose his friends to the horror of Akane in the kitchen.

"Mmm…this is delicious Akane."

"Yes." Hermoine added after Cho. "It tastes just like the spaghetti my friend R-err, Ginny's mom Molly Weasly makes."

Ranma was frozen with shock, amazed that his friends were still breathing much less able to talk. They weren't even wearing the long suffering grimaces Mr. Tendo did when his daughter cornered him with her latest culinary creation.

"Molly?" Akane's asked, a sense of déjà vu sweeping through her. "You don't mean Molly Prewett?"

Hermoine looked up from her plate to lock eyes with her black haired friend, surprised that Akane knew Mrs. Weasly's maiden name.

"Yes, do you know her?"

"Not exactly." Akane answered. "But you could say that this is her recipe. She was the one who taught it to my mother when they both attended Hogwarts."

Hermoine was floored by this unexpected connection with her new friend.

"Wow. I guess it really is a small world."

Eventually Ranma overcame his fears and tried his wife's spaghetti. To say that he was pleasantly surprised by what he discovered was a serious understatement.

"I can't believe it, this stuff is good!"

Hermoine and Cho both froze at his back handed compliment, knowing how insulted they would have been if someone said that to them. To their surprise instead of looking angry, Akane was beaming with pride like he had just favorably compared her to the great French chefs of history. Akane watched with delight as Ranma not only finished his first plate in record time, but then asked for seconds.

Ranma was overwhelmed by joy, his wife could cook!

Soon enough the shock ( and horror at witnessing Ranma's eating habits ) wore off and the girls started to eat. That is when the inevitable happened.

"Hermoine, could you pass the water pitcher?" Akane asked after finishing the last of the contents of her small glass.

"Of course Akane."

Reaching out for the pitcher, Hermoine miss judged the distance and instead of grabbing the handle, she accidentally knocked over the pitcher. The contents of which, predictably, poured off the edge of the table and into the distracted Ranma's lap with the expected consequences.

Cho had been watching Ranma eat, her eyes slightly glazed over in disbelief, when before her eyes he was replaced by a slightly familiar red head. Ranma didn't even pause, shoveling food into his mouth, totally oblivious to his outing.

"Ranma?" Cho asked in a quiet voice.


	17. Chapter 17 Bed knobs & Broomsticks

Chapter 17: Bed knobs & Broomsticks

Ranma thought telling his friend Uchann about his curse was embarrassing, he thought the day his mother learned the truth about little 'Ranko' was awkward, he thought it couldn't possibly get any worse…he thought wrong.

At first telling Cho seemed easy, too easy. In the past that alone would have been warning enough to put him on his guard, but the past several months in England and away from the madness of life in Nerima had succeeded in loosening the tightly wound spring that he used to be, leaving him unprepared for the surprise attack that lay ahead.

Hermoine already knew about his curse and had enjoyed the benefit of time to get used to the idea, even if she had only witnessed the actual change once and that under hectic and confusing conditions.

Cho had never seen it before but unlike Ukyo, who spent nearly half an hour pouring hot and cold water on his head, was satisfied with only watching him change back once.

Yeah, way too easy.

As if karma or the kami would ever let that happen.

Sure the two brain trusts may have been content to only see the transformation once, but that didn't mean the two bubbling fonts of curiosity didn't have questions.

Oh boy, did they have questions.

They asked about things Ranma had never thought of, things he _never__wanted_ to think about much less discuss with a committee.

Yes, the change was complete. No it didn't hurt and _NO_, he didn't know if 'Ranko' could get _pregnant_! That was one of those things about which he could happily go to the grave in ignorance, thank you very much.

It was a good thing he wolfed down that first helping, cause once the questions started he never got a second. It wasn't fair, Akane finally cooked something good and he still ended up feeling sick.

****(Page break)

When the answer to Ranma and Akane's dilemma of how to make contact with Nabiki, without tipping off the school's staff or the ministry as to their intentions, finally came to them it didn't come as the fruit of diligent study and research, nor was it found between the ancient pages of a dusty tome, it didn't even come from one of the resident brain trusts. No, when their answer finally came it was because of an inane comment made in jest.

One that nearly got Ranma clobbered.

The Saotomes were in their training hall, cleaning up after class and debating how they could instill a little more aggression into their students. Sure the kids were competitive, but they weren't used to channeling that drive into physical activities. In fact, it seemed to Ranma that the only physical competition their western counterparts engaged in was Quiditch. They didn't even play soccer like the muggle kids, or base ball. What kind of civilized people didn't play base ball?

In class that day the students had been targeting thrown balls with banishing charms, working on their aim, and with Lint's help Ranma was gathering the colorful rubber balls into a large burlap sack. Akane was using a magically summoned dust devil to sweep off the practice mats, when Ranma was suddenly struck by a bad case of 'foot in mouth' disease.

"Hey, I know, why don't we have them eat some of your cooking?"

Startled and more than a little angry Akane turned towards her idiot husband, absently allowing the dust devil to dissipate.

"Ranma! My cooking is good, even you said so! So don't try and take it back!"

Ranma's muscles tensed up, his mind scrambling for a way out of the dilemma into which his mouth had put him.

"Err…I mean with Wasabi!" He spouted excitedly, confident he had found a way out.

"Wasabi?" She asked suspiciously.

"Yea, you know, you could make some Sushi or something with Wasabi in it and I mean _a lot_. If that doesn't put a fire in their bellies, then it ought to at least put one in their nose!"

Recognizing the signs that his quick cover ( and it was a damn good one too, if he did say so himself ) wasn't flying with the hot tempered tomboy, Ranma tried to divert her attention from him and onto another target.

"What about it Lint?" He asked, looking nervously towards the small elf for support. "Think you could pop on over to Japan and get us some Wasabi?"

He knew that the all too literal elf would answer and he expected her answer to be no, but the Saotomes were still surprised by her cited reason for saying no and the small caveat she added afterwards.

"I am afraid Lint can not." She responded in all seriousness. "Headmaster Dumbledore has ordered that no one not a professor leave the school grounds. While Lint would like to help, not she nor any of the other House Elves may go against the headmaster's orders. Lint is not like Dobby, Dobby is not right. Why, Dobby even gets _paid_."

Like any good gossip Lint studied their faces, searching for signs that they were appropriately scandalized by the idea of a House Elf collecting pay to serve.

She was disappointed, Ranma and Akane not being sufficiently familiar with house elves to realize there was something wrong with the idea of one being compensated for their work.

Instead what she received was a lost and confused look from Ranma, and a "What's a Dobby?" from Akane.

"Huh?" Lint responded intelligently, confused herself when the two martial artists failed to grasp what to her was obvious. "What is Dobby? Dobby is Dobby." She tried to explain.

Akane drew a long suffering sigh. She liked the little house elf, she really did, but sometimes talking to her was like talking to P-Chan.

Remembering Lint's reference to Dobby 'getting paid', Akane rephrased her question.

"I mean, who is Dobby?"

It didn't seem to help.

"Dobby is Dobby." Lint repeated, as if that should explain everything. Seeing that it didn't, she decided to show them instead. "Dobby." She called out to the empty room.

No sooner had the word left her mouth, then another house elf appeared. A little taller than Lint, but with the same long nose, pointy ears and big eyes, the new arrival was dressed in what appeared to be a dingy hand towel and mismatched socks; a black one that kept sliding down around his ankle, and a white booty sock with a hint of lace around the top.

If this was Dobby, Akane was starting to think she understood why Lint thought he was 'not right'.

Ranma just thought he was dressed funny.

"Hello Lint, Professors Saotome, did you need Dobby?" He asked, looking around at them expectantly. Dobby was, as always, anxious to serve.

Akane was still studying the new arrival, but Ranma figured he had a working excuse for his earlier comment going and he wasn't about to let a little thing like waiting for a clue derail a plan of action.

"Yea, uh…Dobby. We were wondering if someone could go to Japan for Wasabi."

"Dobby would be happy to!" The little fellow practically glowed with excitement. "What is Wasabi?"

"Dobby!" Lint cried, scandalized. "Headmaster Dumbledore said that…mph!"

She was cut off mid-sentence by the application of Akane's hand over her mouth.

"Lint…" Akane spoke softly in one delicately pointed ear. "Would you be a dear and…uh…" She hesitated, looking to Ranma for some idea of what to say. Unfortunately, he was still stuck on the idea of Wasabi.

He was sweating nervously and the sight of one bead running down the side of his face gave her sudden inspiration. One much better than Wasabi.

"…_get us some pumpkin juice_? Yes, pumpkin juice from the kitchen. Our last class has left us feeling so hot and thirsty and a cool glass of pumpkin juice would be wonderful right now."

Her request immediately derailed Lint's train of thought and completely forgetting about Dobby and Wasabi, the little elf gave a quick nod, her lips forming a big smile against Akane's palm, before disappearing with a small 'pop'.

Akane gave a sigh of relief, before jumping back on task. She didn't know how long Lint would be gone and she needed to finish before she returned.

"Dobby?" She addressed the sock wearing elf.

"Yes Akane Saotome?" He starred up at her with eager eyes.

Akane took one last nervous look at Ranma before continuing.

"Could you come to our rooms after dinner? There is a favor I need to ask of you."

"Of course, Dobby would be honored to help."

"Thank you." She said relieved, then it occurred to her what would happen if the little elf were to say, drop by the headmaster's office to inform him that he was leaving the school on an errand for the Saotomes. That would not be good. The headmaster would, at the very least, put an end to their plans. Maybe even punish them with expulsion.

"Dobby."

"Yes Akane Saotome?"

"Could you…" She licked her lips nervously. "Could you keep this a secret, just between us?"

If possible, the elf's eyes grew even bigger.

"Of course Dobby will. Dobby is real good at keeping secrets. Why, when Dobby's former master, Lucious Malfoy, planned to release that nasty basilisk in the school Dobby didn't tell a soul. Even when Dobby tried to warn Mr. Harry Potter that Hogwarts wasn't safe, never once did Dobby tell why."

Akane was still trying to make sense of that last statement, when Lint returned with four glasses and a pitcher of pumpkin juice. By now she just took it for granted that Akane would ask her and Dobby to join them, she was so much like her mother.

True to his word, after dinner Dobby arrived at their door where in hushed tones Akane asked if he would carry some letters to the house in Watford for them. The letters were meant for Nabiki, but she decided that it would be easier to have the house elf deliver them to Kasumi to pass along by phone, then to try to explain Nabiki's location at college.

When she pulled Ranma aside to help write the first letter he was confused. He thought they were gonna send the little guy for Wasabi.

****(Page break)

"Will you hurry up!" Hermoine chided.

Ranma and Akane were doing their best to follow their friend through the throng of students that were funneling their way into the Quiditch arena above the castle. It wasn't easy and if not for Hermoine's bushy head of hair they would have lost her several times. As Hermoine led them up one of several narrow stairwells that riddled the stadium like a rat's warren, Akane looked over the wooden structure around them with a leery eye. While most of the stadium was hidden behind drapery, enough was visible to betray the age of the wooden beams that she could have sworn were having to bear the weight of the entire student body and not doing it very well. The whole thing creaked and swayed alarmingly.

Winding their way through the bustling crowd, they emerged atop the bleachers into a chill November morning. The air may have been cold but the sun was warm and bright, making the morning of the first Quiditch game of the season a picture perfect autumn day.

Akane noted that for some reason that seemed to be upsetting her English friend, though she couldn't imagine why.

Ranma didn't notice, wasn't really paying any attention to Hermoine, he was preoccupied with memories of the last and only time he had been in this stadium, the day of his demonstration.

Good memories.

Being that they were with Hermoine, it was only natural that they found themselves surrounded by the red and gold colors of House Gryfindor. Not a bad thing, given that the other end of the arena was dominated by the green and silver of Slytherin.

Settling on the bench next to the strangely agitated Hermoine, Akane asked; "Hermoine, where's Cho? I thought she would be joining us."

"Yea." Ranma butted in. "I thought all of you guys were crazy about this game."

Hermoine took a quick and furtive look around, as if ensuring the Chinese girl really wasn't there, before answering in a nervous whisper. "Cho doesn't watch the games anymore, they bring up too many memories of Cedric."

"Memories?" Ranma asked. "What, did she lose money to him on a bad bet…Oomph."

He was cut off by Akane's elbow in his stomach, followed by a dirty look.

"What?" He barked at her.

"Quiet baka!" She hissed back. "Cedric was her boyfriend and he died."

The look on Ranma's face said 'really'. He looked over the playing field with new respect. Maybe this game was going to be more exciting than he previously thought.

When the players came out onto the field, Ranma starred in disbelief.

"What are…are those _brooms_ they're carrying? What, are they going to sweep their way across the field? Is that why these stands are so high, to keep the audience from chocking on the dust cloud?"

Akane would have given him an elbow in her own, crude form of Heimlich maneuver to get his foot out of his mouth, but she was wondering that herself.

Both Ranma and Akane had heard of the game, of course, but neither being big on watching others play they hadn't paid it much attention, preferring to channel their energies towards their training. Now both were stunned by the incongruous sight of brooms on what had been described as a battlefield.

"Don't be ridiculous." Hermoine responded absently without once taking her eyes off the emerging Gryfindor team. "The goal is to get the Quafel, that's a funny sort of ball, through one of those three rings. All while avoiding the Bludgers and catching the Snitch. They ride the brooms. It's not all that different from football really."

"They ride (snicker) brooms?" Ranma couldn't hold it in anymore, struggling not to giggle like a girl or break out in full blown laughter and risk offending his English friend.

Akane was only having slightly better luck, but both gasped in amazement when the players below suddenly kicked off from the ground and into the air.

Somewhere someone was announcing the beginning of the game and Akane got the distinct impression that they didn't like the Gryfindor keeper, whoever that was.

Ranma was now busy searching the stands around them, his eyes darting fearfully about, studying the spaces between the red and gold wearing students. Among all the shouts and jeers, he heard something horrible. It sounded like a really big c-c-c-feline.

Eventually he found it and was relieved to discover it was just a hat. He recognized the girl wearing it as the one with the Bond girl name and the funny glasses. Remembering her cryptic remark about 'his' red hair, he resolved not to notice her anymore. He also wondered why anyone would choose to wear one of those little demons on their head.

So distracted was he that he missed Slytherin's first attempt at a goal, and first failure to do so as the Gryfindor Keeper blocked it. He didn't miss the mousy brunette on the bench behind them screaming out encouragement to someone with the sad name of 'Won-Won".

Listening to her you would think this guy with the unfortunate name was the greatest thing since sliced bread.

Hermoine didn't seem to think so though, in spite of the fact that he was on her house team. Looking at her you would think his successful block was some sort of crime. Especially strange since she didn't seem to feel the same disappointment when a redhead followed it up by streaking down field to score against Slytherin.

Not really understanding the rules, Ranma and Akane instead focused on the wonder of their fellow teenagers zipping about in the air.

Akane was delighted, thinking that flying would be even better than being able to swim.

Ranma liked the idea of flying, he wasn't too sold on the brooms though. After all Herb could fly and he certainly hadn't been hiding a broom, or anything else, when they battled in that bath house. The only thing the Musk Princess had been wearing was a thin sheet of water and Ranma, having held her clothes hostage, knew exactly what was included with her scaly armor. If Ranma hadn't been so used to seeing her own body, she probably would have bleed out like some sort of pervert ( That would be a reference to Ryouga, who nearly did bleed out. Mousse was too blind to see what all the excitement was about).

There had to be a way to do it without the embarrassing accessory.

As the game went on the crowd grew more and more excited with each amazing save by the Gryfindor Keeper. Hermoine, on the other hand, seemed to grow more and more upset. Especially when the crowd started chanting "Weasly is our king".

Ranma smirked, Akane accused him of having a big head, this Weasly was actually stopping to conduct his own horn blowing.

Akane didn't notice, she was too entranced by the sight of brooms flying past.

"Hermoine." She nudged the grumbling girl to get her attention, all while giving none of her own back. "When do we learn how to fly?"

Hermoine gave her a confused look. "Why, in first year of course."

She was surprised by the disappointed look that came over Akane's face, then came understanding. "Oh, you weren't here for first year so you didn't take Madam Hooch's class."

"No." Akane responded, looking sullen. "Do you think they would still let us take?"

Hermoine shook her head. "I doubt it. Flying isn't a required course so they'll probably decide to skip it in your case."

She watched the shadow of disappointment fall across Akane's eyes. "Maybe…" She began with some hesitation. "Maybe someone else could teach you, outside of class I mean."

"You really think so?" Akane asked, voice filled with hope and excitement.

"Yeah." Hermoine answered happily. "I'll ask R…" She cut off. She had been about to suggest asking Ron, but decided that might not be a good idea. He was being so difficult lately and given his attitude towards his sister Ginny kissing her boyfriends, she really didn't want to deal with his reaction to the married couple. Even if they had never…done _it_.

"I'll ask Harry if he can. He's really good at it. That's him way up there chasing the Snitch." There, that should work out better, Harry was always willing to help.

The game continued but neither Akane or Ranma paid attention to who was winning. Akane was caught up in watching the joy of flight. Ranma couldn't get past the disturbing image of having a broom between his legs.

****(Page break)

It took a couple of days but true to her word, Hermoine asked Harry if he would give the Saotomes a private flying lesson. So it was that Friday after the end of normal classes, she, Akane and Ranma-Chan were found waiting in the courtyard with battered broomsticks in hand.

Akane had given Ranma a hard time about his insistence on attending as a girl.

He told her it would be too embarrassing for a guy to learn how to ride a broom. "Besides," He said "this Harry already knows about my curse."

To which Akane pointed out he would also know he was really teaching a guy. Ranma's only response to that was a stubborn look and a turned head.

Hermoine seemed out of sorts but refused Akane's attempt to lend a friendly ear.

So it was three girls that turned at the intrusion of a voice stuffed full of self importance calling "Hello!".

Turning they found a familiar red head, not Harry, approaching with an equally familiar brown haired ornament hanging off his arm.

Hermoine threw him a dirty look which was answered by an equally spiteful one from Lavender Brown, the girl attached to his hip, before Lavender turned again to stare at Ron in rapt adoration bordering on worship.

"Ron." Hermoine greeted, voice edged with frost to equal the cold November air. "We are waiting for Harry."

"Yeah." He responded. "But Harry got called off to Professor Dumbledore's office, so he asked if I would take his place. I, of course, said yes. So I'm here to teach the Saotomes how to fly. Where's Ranma?"

The questioning look in his eyes was replaced by surprised realization and a spreading blush as he recognized the redhead standing next to Hermoine. He nearly developed a nose bleed at the memory of his face being sandwiched between this girl's ample breasts.

Fortunately for him Ranma had been too distracted at the time to remember.

"Yes, who better than my Won-Won, he's the best flyer in the whole school." Lavender offered up, as if her opinion was too obvious not to be shared by all. She made both Ranma and Akane nervous, somehow bringing images of Kuno to mind.

"Fine." Hermoine said, turning her back on him. "Let's get started. The sooner we're done the sooner we can go back inside where it's warm."

"Lav, honey." Ron looked to the girl at his side. "I'm gonna need my arm."

The two shared an intense and all too public kiss, before his girlfriend let go and stepped over to stare vindictively at Hermoine.

Hermoine just turned her head, nose slightly in the air with contempt for their juvenile display.

Puffing himself up, Ron dropped his broom on the ground by his feet.

"What say we start at the beginning." He directed Akane and Ranma to place their own broomsticks on the ground.

"Now say 'up' and will the broom into your hand."

He demonstrated with an arrogant "Up", followed by the sharp crack of wood slapping smartly into his palm.

Looking first at him, then their respective brooms dubiously, the Saotomes did as instructed. Their broomsticks gave small wiggles but neither left the ground.

"No, No, No." Ron corrected with a rueful shake of his bushy head. "You're not asking the brooms to do you a favor. You have to say it like a command, confident that you will be obeyed."

Akane gave Hermoine a look, as if asking 'this arrogant popinjay is your friend?'

To which Hermoine responded with a slight shrug that seemed to say 'sort of'.

Holding her hand out, Akane repeated the command of 'up'. There was a slight wobble, but the broom rose obediently up into her hand.

With a smirk, Ranma followed suit, but her broom leaped up and past her into the air. Never willing to accept defeat, Ranma lashed out with lightning fast reflexes to grasp hold of the broom as it shot past. Unfortunately this resulted in Ranma-Chan hanging suspended in the air by one hand.

Hermoine had been a big fan of Gilderoy Lockhart back in second year, before everyone learned he was a fraud, and never understood how Harry and Ron could take such a sudden dislike to him , but now, hearing the same pompous pride in Ron's voice as he let loose a laugh at Ranma's plight, she understood perfectly. She also understood their desire at the time to see something unfortunate happen to the jerk.

"Ha! Ha!…Ranma! It is usually expected that you ride _on_ the broom, not under it!"

Shooting him a look that promised retribution, Ranma demonstrated incredible strength and control as she lifted herself above the broom like a gymnast on a raised bar. Body extended straight up into the air, she spread her legs into full splits before slowly lowering her body down to straddle the broom. The look of defiance on her face was disrupted by a small 'squeak', as the broomstick came to rest under, well, that place that she didn't like to think about. She squirmed a little on the broomstick, trying to find a way to sit that was not only more comfortable but didn't result in the narrow handle rubbing her in places that reminded her too much of the differences between her original and cursed forms. Men, she instinctively knew, were not meant to ride on brooms. Herb hadn't, so why should she?

The squeak slightly marred the effect, but not even Lavender could help being impressed by Ranma's display of gymnastic prowess.

Ranma's broom, on the other hand, apparently wasn't so impressed as it shook and dipped beneath her, increasing her unease, but Ranma stayed on in an incredible show of balance.

With a Ranmaesque smirk on her lips, Akane climbed astride her own broom.

The grin on Ron's face put Ranma's habitual one to shame, as he to mounted his broom.

Hermoine just put hers where it belonged, without the show of arrogance.

Looking towards Akane, since Ranma was technically already airborne, Ron instructed her to "Will yourself up." Then demonstrated by rising up and shooting past Ranma, before arching around to park next to her side with a sure and steady hand.

Ron had come a long way since the day when his own first attempt started with his broom striking him on the forehead.

Focusing on moving, Akane and Hermoine both rose up beside them. Akane balanced precariously upon her broom as she came to a stop.

"Good. Now how bout a little game of follow the leader?"

With a 'follow me' gesture, Ron started to slowly cross the courtyard, followed by Akane and Hermoine. Not Ranma, in a scene reminiscent of Neville on that long ago day Ranma's broom shot off out of control. The only difference was that unlike Neville, Ranma had the strength and skill to ensure that there was no danger of her being tossed.

Leaving Hermoine to watch over Akane, Ron sped after the rapidly receding redhead.

"Ranma! Oy, Ranma! Slow up Mate!"

For the next half hour, Ranma, Akane, Ron and Hermoine flew lazy circles about the spires of the castle. Hermoine occasionally offering a steadying hand to her friends. Never all that comfortable on a broom herself, she felt nothing but sympathy for Ranma when her broom continued to refuse to settle down, constantly trying to buck the little redhead off.

Its efforts were in vain as Ranma's perfect sense of balance easily kept her atop her unsteady seat. At one point she even climbed to her feet, riding the broom standing up just to show that she could ( it had nothing to do with the fact that the handle rubbing against the lower part of her body left her feeling…_uncomfortable_ ). Surprisingly, once she did so the broom calmed down, remaining steady beneath her feet. As her confidence grew, she couldn't resist the urge to show off and was soon racing about like a snow boarder in Park City ( Shaun White, eat your heart out ).

As time passed and the wind rushed by their faces, Ranma and Akane couldn't resist breaking out in joyous laughter. Their excitement was infectious and soon Ron and Hermoine were laughing along.

The only one who didn't seem to be enjoying the experience was Lavender, waiting below, wishing she had brought a broom for herself. Watching her rivals dance about with her Won-Won, she anxiously waited for Mr. Saotome to arrive. She couldn't wait to see him get upset at his wife's scandalous behavior. To her great disappointment he never showed.

****(Page break)

In the weeks that followed Ranma and Akane, with Dolby's help, finalized their plans with Nabiki. Kasumi even came up with her own additions thanks to her studies of their mother's other recipe book. Unless something went wrong, more than likely, they would have everything ready by Christmas.

They even sent a letter to Tofu explaining Ranma's discovery. The good doctor promised to give it some thought. In the meantime he sent a book on meditation that he felt might help Ranma separate his emotions from his magic.

Upon receiving the book Ranma opened it and looked over the first page. Then he turned it to the second, followed by the third. Then he rotated the book one way, while turning his head in the other. After that he turned to a page in the middle, then the end. Finally he closed it and tossed it on the table in their front room.

Sitting still in a dark room thinking about nothing just wasn't his thing. He meditated through motion, not breathing.

Frustrated, he decided that it would just have to wait until he could talk to Doc in person. In the meantime he decided to focus on what he knew and perhaps duplicate some of the spells he was learning using his own art. He already had a few thoughts about the Protego shield charm. Perhaps if he combined it with Herb's Dragon Energy Sword technique…yeah, that might work. Not only would he be able to cut with it, he could, in theory, parry spells like one sword does another.

There were so many useful spells he wanted to be able to cast, if he could just figure out how and he would. After all, he was the greatest martial artist of his generation. He just needed to find a way to make them a part of his art.

And the snow flies.

Author's notes:

There, it only took four months but I finally finished another chapter (even if it is short and mostly fluff). More importantly, I finally got past the block of preparing for Ranma's revenge.

The next chapter: 'Silent Night', will contain one of the few major events in the story. Hopefully it won't prove too disappointing. Sadly, I had originally planned to release it last Christmas, but was held up by my block and the various comments and reviews I had received. That means that everything I posted in the last year was in response to a readers comments. Hopefully it made the story better, not just longer.


	18. Chapter 18 Silent Night

Chapter 18: Silent Night…

Christmas was coming to Hogwarts.

After the end of normal classes, Cho was bustling down the hall to the Saotomes' training hall and everywhere she looked there were reminders of that fact in the form of laughing students and decorations. There were garlands and candles, even twelve massive pine trees lining the walls of the Great Hall, but that isn't what interested her. No, what interested her was found hanging over corridors and tall doorways, usually accompanied by clusters of giggling adolescent girls with attending, nervous guys.

What held Cho's interest was the mistletoe.

Not that she was looking to get kissed. She hadn't had a real chance at romance since Cedric died. Not even with Harry, there had been too many ghosts.

Nor was she really interested in starting one now, though she was starting to feel that maybe she wouldn't have turned the possibility down if an interested guy happened to catch her eye. She had come that far in the grieving process. Sometimes she wondered if Harry might still be interested, but then their own baggage would cause her to chicken out. Still, maybe…

Cho wasn't interested in the mistletoe for herself but for her friends, Ranma and Akane.

When Hermoine confided to her that Akane and her husband had never so much as kissed, well Cho nearly cried herself to sleep haunted by her own lost opportunities. So the Chinese witch had vowed that she would not let Akane share the same regrets. One way or another, Akane was at least going to get that kiss and the quaint tradition of mistletoe seemed like the perfect opportunity.

She even knew how she was going to do it.

She had gotten to know the couple well enough to feel confident that Akane at least would be willing, and while Ranma would likely run away if given the chance, she figured she knew how he ticked well enough not to give him that chance.

That evening, after their class, the Saotomes were scheduled to study with Cho and Gerald. As was her usual habit, Cho entered their training hall to wait for Ranma and Akane to finish so that she might accompany them to the library where Gerald would be waiting.

It had become a normal routine, something they had done more than a dozen times. Ranma and Akane didn't suspect a thing.

"Hey Cho!" Ranma greeted her as the younger students filed out of the room.

"Ranma, Akane." She responded back, struggling to keep a mischievous smile from her face. She knew that if Ranma held the slightest suspicioun then her plan might not work.

"Just give us a second to clean up and we'll be ready to go." Akane told her with a smile.

"Of course." Cho responded. "It will go even quicker if I help."

Drawing forth her wand, Cho and the Saotomes quickly had everything tidied up and put away and were soon passing out the door and casually strolling down the hall.

As they went, doing her best to appear spontaneous, Cho made a comment about the decorations and Christmas, pointing out that they didn't celebrate it back in Hong Kong.

"We don't normally practice it in Tokyo either." Akane told her.

"Not Thanksgiving either." Ranma interjected disconsolately. He had been very disappointed to learn that was only an American holiday and not observed in England. To him the idea of a holiday were everyone got together and ate lots of food seemed like a brilliant idea.

"Ranma!" Akane chided him, heading off a serious session of pouting. Her husband had whined endlessly when he learned they wouldn't be holding such a feast.

Turning back to Cho, she explained to the Chinese girl that where they came from Christmas was something you heard about but no one gave much thought.

"But last year my older sister Kasumi decided we should have a Christmas party." She went on to add. "We invited all of our friends over and while there wasn't a big feast, we did exchange gifts. Everyone had a wonderful time." She gave a little, mischievous grin. "We even convinced Ranma-Chan to sing."

Ranma gave her a dirty look, but wisely decided to remain quiet.

"Actually, we are planning to do it again at the house in Watford. Both of our families are planning to be there, along with Dr. Tofu, my sister Kasumi's boyfriend."

Ranma smirked. "Yea, and maybe he'll even bring nurse Betty. That should be funny."

"Baka." Akane elbowed him. "I'm sure he's much better now. After all, he hasn't seen Kasumi since last spring, surely he will have calmed down by now."

"Wanna bet?" He asked her with a grin. "I bet ya he'll take one look at Kasumi and won't stop dancing until New Years."

"Is there something wrong with this Tofu seeing Kasumi? Did they have a fight over her coming with you to England?"

"Oh, No!" Akane quickly corrected. "It's just that, when Dr. Tofu sees my sister he kind of…goes a little love crazy." She blushed at the last, embarrassed for her childhood crush.

"A _little_ crazy?" Ranma exclaimed in disbelief. "If the Doc so much as hears her name he loses it. If he actually sees her he becomes down right dangerous."

This wasn't exactly a direction Cho had foreseen the conversation going but still, she thought it would be a good lead in to the trap she had laid for her unsuspecting friends and she wasn't about to look a gift horse in the mouth.

"So I take it this Dr. Tofu is overwhelmed by his love for your sister Akane?"

"Yes, he is." Akane answered with a tender smile. "It's really sweet."

"Sweet!" Ranma practically shrieked. "When Doc is around Kasumi, sugar shock is the least of your worries."

"Really!" Cho drew to a stop. "Then I guess he'll have a real problem with this." She said, pointing to the library doorway above their heads.

Cho had planned this carefully and knew the castle and its habits better than her new friends and there above the couples heads, in plain view, hung a sprig of mistletoe.

Looking up, Ranma and Akane both blushed as they were reminded of it significance over their heads.

Forcing a girlish giggle, Cho pushed her acting talents to their limits.

"I've noticed that even more than most boys, Japanese men are afraid of displaying affection. Why, I doubt Ranma here would ever have the courage to kiss you in public Akane. Not where other people might see him."

Dropping her eyes from the mistletoe to Ranma, the crimson glow of embarrassment spread over Akane's face.

Ranma's face was red to and his mouth was opening and closing like one of the fish in the koi pond, sputtering as he tried to deny Cho's statement.

"Courage, I…I ain't afraid of nothin, certainly not of kissing no tomboy!" He protested.

Now getting a little upset herself, Akane decided to call him on it. The coward.

"Really Ranma? If you aren't afraid then prove it! Go on, I dare you!"

By now the yelling had drawn the attention of Gerald and the other students in the library. It didn't matter, Ranma and Akane were too wrapped up in each other to notice. Even Cho was forgotten at this point.

"You don't think I'll do it?" Ranma demanded of her.

"No! I think you're too scared!"

"Scared? I ain't scared of nothin!"

"Prove it!" Akane demanded of him.

"I…!" He was too flustered to speak (which with Ranma is a good thing), so tossing aside words in favor of immediate action (unlike Hamlet, Ranma didn't wait for everyone to die first) he grabbed her by the shoulders and pushing his face against hers, gave her the clumsiest and quickest kiss the students of Hogwarts had ever seen.

It's inadequacy wasn't lost on Akane. "You call that a kiss? Maybe I should call that pervert Sanzenin to show you how it's done, eh Ranma-Chan!"

Ranma was furious. How dare she challenge his manhood like that. Vowing to show her how wrong she was, he forcefully drew his angry wife close and, wrapping his arms tight about her, he tried again.

Now, Ranma may not be very good at learning from books or lectures, but he was a genius when it comes to learning martial arts technique, often mastering them after seeing them only once, and were Mikado Sanzenin was concerned kissing was definitely a martial art attack. Ranma-Chan once had the misfortune of witnessing his skill first hand and though the memory gave him nightmares, Ranma now drew upon the experience as he did his best to take Akane's breath away. Hopefully not in further rage the way Mikado had done for Ranma.

It seemed to have worked for by the time the need to breath broke them apart, Akane had forgotten she was angry.

Ranma had forgotten all about Mikado, his name, or the people watching.

Unfortunately Irma Pince, the librarian, took it upon herself to remind them.

"What do you think you are doing!" She hissed at them as she approached. "This is a library! Not the back of your father's carriage!" Flapping her arms at them like an angry bird, she shooed them out, slamming the door behind them and causing the mistletoe to shake loose.

Akane plucked it out of the air out of habit, momentarily forgetting that the red and green plant wasn't one of Kuno's roses.

"Who's afraid?" Ranma asked, doing his best to confront her but the emotion in his voice was awed wonder, not anger.

No longer angry herself, Akane still refused to surrender the high ground. "Humph…If that's the best you can do."

Sensing a challenge in her words, Ranma resolved to prove he was still the best.

"Shut up Tomboy." He ordered, before leaning in to try again.

Akane ignored the old insult, too caught up in the struggle for dominance.

Forgotten, Cho watched her friends making like Ron and Lavender in the hall, wondering if maybe she had made a mistake.

Inside the library Gerald starred at the closed door, wondering if he should try to find them or just take the evening off from tutoring.

****(Page break)

Later that night Akane entered the bathing room she shared with Ranma intending to brush her teeth before bed, only to find her husband standing before the sink making funny faces at the mirror. She watched puzzled for several moments, before she realized that he was actually moving his lips about in a repeating pattern. Something that seemed oddly familiar…

"Ranma." She interrupted. "Are you…don't tell me you've developed a kata for kissing?"

Ranma was torn between embarrassment and pride. Pride won out.

"Hey, I'm gonna prove I'm better than that jerk Sanzenin. So I'm training."

Akane just starred. That was just so…Ranma. She held back the urge to ask if he intended to prove it by going home and kissing Mikado back.

Instead she wrapped her own, arrogant grin across her face.

"Really?" Her voice was filled with blatant challenge. "Well you know, you can't really get very good without someone to spar with."

"Oh?" It was clear from his tone that Ranma was rising to her challenge. "Did you have someone in mind Tomboy?" He asked, determined to call her bluff if that's what it was.

"I might." She responded coyly. "If you think you need the practice…"

Ranma didn't let her finish and Akane quickly found herself thinking that maybe, just maybe, there was something to that kata of his. He was already so much better…

****(Page break)

As soon as the last class ended before the Christmas break, Ranma and Akane collected their bags and headed out of the castle. As associate professors they had been invited to Slughorn's Christmas party, he mentioned it in passing before rushing off to speak with someone more important, but even if they had wanted to go, they wanted to be reunited with their families more (Ranma even found that he missed pounding the panda).

It was December in Scotland and white sheets of snow lay heavily upon the ground, while large, wet flakes of the stuff continued to fall from the sky. The flakes were so heavy with water they were almost slush. The clingy things were already starting to build up on their umbrellas by the time they passed through the castle gates, waving bye-bye to the nice aurors guarding them, and when Akane reached out beyond the umbrellas shelter to catch a few in her hand they melted almost immediately on her warm skin.

Seeing the cold water drip from her fingers, Ranma hunkered down under the dual protection of his wide brimmed hat and umbrella. Since it was still snow and not rain, he held some hope of making it to Hogsmead without turning into a girl.

Shaking the water from her hand, Akane transferred her umbrella to it while reaching into her rain coat for her wand.

"There's something I have been meaning to try…" She said as she pulled the golden wand forth, "and this seems like as good a time as any."

Waving it over her head, she said; "Impervious".

Curious now, Ranma peeked out from beneath his shelter, watching as she returned the wand to its sheath in her robes.

"What ya doin?" He asked.

"It's just a thought I had." She answered absently. Her hand now empty once again, she reached out past the shelter of her umbrella holding it palm up.

Puzzled, Ranma watched then jerked in amazement as the falling snow flakes flowed around her hand in defiance of gravity. Akane held it out for more than a minute but when she pulled it back for close inspection, her hand was still dry. With a grin she lowered her umbrella, laughing as the falling flakes flew down and around her without so much as one actually touching her.

"Hey, that's pretty neat." Ranma exclaimed with some excitement. With a flick of his wrist, he drew his wand from its hidden weapons space within his sleeve. Waving it in imitation of what Akane had done, he tried his best to keep his emotions in check. After much practice he had indeed gotten better. Now, if he was free to take his time and concentrate, he could successfully cast most spells. This still meant he couldn't use magic in combat, mock or otherwise, but he no longer felt like a total incompetent and just knew that with practice he would find a way to best his little problem.

Sensing the matrix of the spell settle about his person, he returned the wand to his sleeve and held out his hand. A delighted grin spread over his face as the falling flakes flew around his appendage.

"Ha!" He laughed. "I finally beat the curse!"

Holding his umbrella out to his side, Ranma whipped off his hat with a flourish and when he failed to feel wet flakes falling upon his head, he began to laugh and dance around.

"Ain't gonna turn into a girl no more!" He sang out in Japanese.

Akane watched, happy for him, but the smile on her face quickly turned to a look of bemused concern.

"Uh, Ranma…"

"Yea Akane?" He responded absently, caught up in the joy of the moment.

"I think…Ranma, something isn't right."

Seeing that her eyes were fixed on a point above him, Ranma tilted back his head for a look. Above him he could see snow building up as if on an invisible barrier over his head. A barrier that chose that moment to disappear, allowing the quickly growing sheet to fall upon his head and shoulders all at once.

"HEY!" Ranma shrieked, his voice quickly rising in pitch as the melting snow left behind a bedraggled redhead.

"I'm sorry Ranma." Akane said, releasing a disappointed sigh. "I guess Jusenkeyo refuses to be bested so easily."

"Humph!" Ranma jammed her hat back atop her head, raising the umbrella back into a working position.

Akane struggled to hold in a laugh at the adorable pout on the other girl's face. She looked like a drowned cat.

****(Page break)

When Ranma and Akane stepped out of the fireplace behind the Lanshear house, they discovered that there was snow on the ground in Watford as well, if not currently falling from the skies. Not that it was much consolation to Ranma, having already been turned into a girl.

Entering the mud room at the back of the house, after Ranma carefully checked for a bucket carrying Kasumi, the pair shook off their umbrellas and hung up their rain coats and hats.

Ranma told Akane that she was going to go down to her room to change, then out of habit she leaned in to give her wife a kiss (if practice really makes perfect, then Ranma and Akane would be masters of the art by now, having practiced a lot), when Akane unexpectedly jerked back her eyes going wide.

"What…" Ranma started to inquire, when the fact that she was having to stand on tiptoes to reach the lips of a taller Akane reminded her of her currently female status. Shame and fear swept through her, leaving her cold at the thought of the disgust she knew must now be filling her dark haired spouse. Without a word, she stepped back then fled down the stairs to the cellar, quickly slamming the door behind her, leaning back against it for support.

Internally, she railed against her stupidity. How could she have forgotten she was a girl and Akane didn't kiss girls. Pushing past her self loathing, Ranma-Chan went to throw her overnight bag on the cot, when she discovered that it had been folded up and was leaning against the wall. Her Unicorn rug had also been rolled up and was leaning against the wall. Next to them were a couple of stacks of folding chairs and against the far wall, three collapsible tables. The floor space in the center of the room was devoted to a large, canvas bundle. Ranma had just realized it was in fact a tent, when a shiver informed her of how cold it was in the cellar for a girl with wet hair and water running under her shirt. Apparently her mother and Kasumi didn't bother to heat the room when it was only being used for storage.

Shrugging, she decided to finish what she came down here for and stripped off her robes and damp shirt. She tried to use a drying charm on her hair but her emotions were too jumbled, reminding her of how disadvantaged she still was. She hoped Dr. Tofu had found something better than sitting in a dark room to solve her problem.

****(Page break)

When Ranma leaned in, clearly intending to kiss her, Akane had reflexively moved her head to help make the connection, when the sight of soggy red hair reminded her that her husband was currently a girl.

Still uncomfortable with the idea of sharing the intimate gesture with another girl, Akane had unintentionally drawn back with a jerk. She felt a wave of guilt wash through her when the blood rushed from Ranma-Chan's face, to be replaced by a look of shame and anguish like she wore the day the redhead first arrived at the Tendo home. Before Akane could say anything, whether in apology or to explain, Ranma fled down the stairs, the ring of a slamming door separating them.

Not sure what had happened, she decided to leave it for later. Taking off her shoes before entering the house proper, the puddle under her stocking feet reminded her that while she was dry, having been protected by the impervious charm, her spouse wasn't and her rain gear was shedding a sizable amount of water onto the floor. It took but a moment to dry the floor with the aid of magic and after returning her wand to its hidden sheath, Akane stepped through the door and into the kitchen.

The sound of voices echoing down the hall let her know that the other guests had already arrived. Excited to see everybody again, she rushed to the front room where she found her entire family seated on the floor, enjoying traditional English snacks while getting reacquainted.

Before she could even say hello, she was swept off her feet by her father, the water works running full bore as he wept in happiness at seeing his little girl again. No sooner had she escaped from his smothering grip (hold you and squeeze you and crush you and name you George) when she was swept up in another from Nabiki. It had been years since Akane felt her middle sister's arms about her, such shows of emotion being out of character for Nabiki, and she allowed herself to just enjoy the moment.

Finally drawing back to arms length, Nabiki had a teasing glint in her eye.

"Looking good Akane. Marriage must agree with you. So, when do I get to meet my new niece or nephew?"

"Nabiki!" Akane stepped back, her face turning bright red with embarrassment. "We haven't, I mean…we're in no hurry to have…"

Nabiki cut her off with a leer worthy of Happossai. "Really! Why not? If I had a hunky husband I would definitely be working on…making babies."

Any further teasing was disrupted by Soun's cries of; "My baby is having a baby!"

(It sounded better than him crying; "My little girl is getting some and I want to go back to Vegas")

"Dad! I am not having a baby!" Akane yelled, indignantly.

With a smug grin, Nabiki said; "No, I suppose not. Why, I bet you and Ranma haven't even gotten to first base yet."

Her smug grin quickly turned into a speculative one when Akane didn't immediately leap to denial.

"Why…Akane! Have you and the gender confused wonder been getting busy?"

Nabiki wouldn't have thought it possible, but she could have sworn that her little sister's face was growing even redder than before. Nabiki's hands began to twitch with the subconscious desire to hold her camera. If she could get a picture of that…

Akane was almost saved from further embarrassment (almost, as in it actually grew a hundred times worse) by Nodoka who had been waiting to greet her daughter in law with a hug of her own.

"Shush, Nabiki. There is nothing wrong with your sister kissing my son. Such urges are perfectly natural in healthy boys and girls. Akane, you should never be ashamed to express your love to your husband physically. At least in private."

"Really aunt Nodoka?" Nabiki refused to let such an amusing moment go. "What if Ranma happens to be a girl at the time?"

Akane wanted to curl up and disappear at her mother in law's response.

"Nonsense. Boy or girl, my son is still her husband." At which point she lifted Akane's bowed head to look her in the eyes with deadly earnest. "Akane, please don't let my child's curse dissuade you from ever expressing the love you share." It wouldn't have been so bad, if she hadn't gone on to add; "A little experimentation is good for a couple."

Akane found herself wondering just which of Ranma's parents had actually been Happossai's apprentice.

She couldn't believe it, but the humiliating experience actually grew worse when the boy in questions voice came from the hallway behind her.

"Experimentation…what sort of experiments mom?"

With a sly grin, Nabiki said; "Oh Ranma, Akane was just telling us about your new workout routine. Aunty was advising her not to let your curse keep her from working…_hard_."

Ranma knew there was more going on here than he was seeing and judging by the way Akane was acting, it was most likely something he really didn't want to know about. A hard slap to the back made him cognizant that his father and Soun were flanking him.

"I'm proud of you boy!" Genma exclaimed. "The school will be growing in no time, ain't that right Tendo?"

"Quite right, Saotome. Perhaps we can think of some good names over a game of shogi."

"Good thinking Tendo. We will need several names for strapping boys to carry on our legacy."

"I don't know Saotome." Soun responded, a wistful look of longing on his face. "I wouldn't mind a beautiful granddaughter or two."

"Of course Tendo. I'm sure our children will provide us with several of both."

Leaving a sputtering Ranma and melting Akane behind, the fathers proceeded to the kitchen to fetch their playing board (and a little something to celebrate with).

Standing with a dreamy look in her eyes, no one noticed as Nodoka let out a soft sigh that sounded suspiciously like "Grandchildren". They did, however, notice her little victory dance (complete with fans).

****(Page break)

There were only three bedrooms (not counting the cellar) in the house and one of those (plus the cellar) were currently filled with supplies for the party. So with eight people in the house, four women and an equal number of men, it was decided that it would be easier if the men slept in one room and the women the other.

In the girl's room, Nodoka and Kasumi shared the bed, while Akane and Nabiki spread futons on the floor. As they were climbing into bed, Akane took Kouryuu's statue out of her overnight bag and placed him on the bedside table.

"Oh, it's mother's statue." Kasumi said with delight.

"Your mother's statue, dear?" Nodoka asked, leaning in for a closer look. "It's exquisite."

"I've been keeping him on the mantel in our room at Hogwarts. I didn't want to leave Kouryuu behind, so I brought him with me."

"Kouryuu?" Kasumi asked. "You named him Akane?"

"No, actually that is the name his creators gave him in China more than two thousand years ago."

Not having seen their mother's dragon since the end of summer, even Nabiki maneuvered for a look. She couldn't resist teasing.

"Him? What's wrong Akane, can't sleep without a man around? Should we call for Ranma?"

"Nabiki!" Akane threw a pillow at her sister. "I can sleep just fine, thank you."

She ruthlessly quashed the feeling of emptiness she felt at the thought of sleeping without the baka.

"Besides, Kouryuu is here for a reason. This is the first time we've all been together since school began and I wanted him to meet you."

"That's sweet Akane." Kasumi said with a small smile.

"Yea Akane." Nabiki said sarcastically. "Hello Mr. Kouryuu, has my little sister been keeping you up with her moaning?"

"Nabiki!" Akane yelled, hitting her older sister with a pillow once again.

"Girls!" Nodoka admonished them, but it was mirth, not annoyance that underlay her voice. "We have a big day tomorrow, so get some sleep."

"Yes mother." Akane and Kasumi said together.

Nabiki didn't say anything, laying down as Kasumi turned out the lights. Ranma's mother had asked her to consider her the same when she arrived, but she just didn't feel comfortable doing so. She dealt with her own unease the way she always did, by picking on her little sister.

"Ranma…" She called out quietly in a breathy voice. "Oh, Ranma…Umph."

She was cut off by a pillow striking her on the head.

****(Page break)

In the boy's room, the fathers (after much complaining of old bones) were taking the bed, while Ranma and Doctor Tofu spread futons on the floor.

As they did, Ranma couldn't help giving the Doc nervous looks. It was unnatural, all evening the Doc had sat by Kasumi, even talked to her, and though his glasses did seem to have perpetually fogged lenses and his voice a high strung edge, he never once started acting crazy.

It wasn't natural and Ranma was waiting for the other shoe to drop.

"Hey Doc." He waited till he had the older man's attention before continuing. "You seem pretty calm. I mean, with Kasumi being here and all."

A shudder passed down Tofu's frame when Ranma said Kasumi's name. Ranma jerked back, careful to keep all of his limbs out of the other man's reach, but nothing more happened.

"Yes, well…I guess I have you to thank for that Ranma." Tofu answered with sincere gratitude.

"While I was researching ways to help you with your magic, I sort of managed to bring my own problem under control. It's not perfect but…I'm doing better."

"Glad to hear it. You and Kasumi deserve each other."

"Thank you Ranma, I really appreciate that."

"No problem Doc, it's just what I think. No big deal."

"Still, it means a lot to me to hear you say that. Do you…is Akane, you know…okay with Kasumi and I?"

"Akane? Of course, the tomboy couldn't be happier. In case you missed it when your mother came to visit, Akane's been rooting for you and Kasumi for a while now." Ranma struggled to hold in a laugh at the memory which, while difficult at the time, was funny to think about now. "You may remember, she made me pretend to be, well…your girlfriend so your mom wouldn't try and set you up with someone else. We should a just introduced her to Kasumi in the first place. Would a saved me from havin to wear that dress."

Tofu chuckled at the memory and Ranma's discomfort when his mother started on about her hips. 'Perfect for birthing babies.' She had said. He honestly thought Ranma-Chan was going to have a break down, right then and there.

"Yes, well that's something else I have to thank you for."

"Hey, t'was nothin. Night Doc."

"Good night Ranma, Mr. Tendo, Mr. Saotome."

The fathers responded with snores, having already fallen asleep.

****(Page break)

Kasumi wandered carefully through the mists, the echoing sounds of water rebounding around her.

"Hello." She called out.

"Kasumi?"

Turning, she found a puzzled Nabiki emerging from the veils of water in the air.

"Where are we?"

"I don't know…" She started to answer, when she was cut off by Akane.

"Your in a dream, we all are."

Turning, the two Tendo sisters found the third standing only a few feet away and looking far more confident then they felt.

"A dream?" Kasumi asked, before both she and Nabiki gave a start at catching a glimpse of a large, vague, something moving through the vapors behind Akane.

"What…what was that?" Nabiki asked, doing her best not to sound afraid.

Without even bothering to look, the dream Akane told them; "That's Kouryuu."

"The statue?" Nabiki asked in disbelief.

"Yes, well…he's not just a statue in this place. I haven't really seen him yet, but then, he's not the one I brought you here to see."

"Oh, well then who did you bring us here to see?" Kasumi asked.

"You'll see." Was Akane's answer as the mists solidified into walls, familiar walls.

In no time the Tendo sisters found themselves standing in the main room of their family home. Before anyone could say anything more, they were interrupted by the sound of a man's voice calling out "We're home!"

This was followed by the patter of small feet from the kitchen, and the voices of excited little girls calling out; "Sumi, Sumi's home!"

Kasumi drew in a shocked breath, as out of the kitchen came running a three year old Nabiki, her hair already cut into a familiar bob, followed by a toddling Akane.

They were met in the hall by a five year old Kasumi wearing her first school uniform, followed by their father who looked so young to them now.

A woman in an apron followed the little ones out of the kitchen, kneeling down to give the child Kasumi a hug.

"Mother?" Whispered both Kasumi and Nabiki in disbelief.

"That," Akane announced proudly from behind them. "is who I brought you here to see. Merry Christmas Kasumi, Nabiki."

****(Page break)

Ranma was having difficulty sleeping. He tossed and turned, occasionally drifting into wakefulness, before uneasy slumber claimed him again. This continued late into the night when he felt a warm body snuggle up against his bare chest, instantly easing his nerves and pushing him towards a deep and restful sleep.

"Akane…" He whispered, as his breathing deepened and his muscles relaxed.

Right up until the moment he heard a voice, thick with sleep, reply; "Panties…"

Ranma's eyes snapped open, sleep being driven out by rushing adrenalin as he looked down. His cat sharp eyes could easily see that, though Ranma knew he had gone to bed a boy, he was clearly now a girl and there, nestled into her naked chest, one hand fondling her left breast, was the old pervert, Happossai.

The silence of the house was shattered by a very feminine scream, followed by a cry of; "Get off a me you pervert!" Then the loud thud of something striking a wall, hard.

"Aw, Ranma! It's cold here. You wouldn't begrudge an old man who is just trying to keep warm now, would you?"

"Stay away from me you old freak!"

Author's notes:

I originally intended to carry this chapter all the way through Christmas, but that was turning into a really long chapter and this seemed like a good stopping point. So next chapter '...Deadly Night', will hopefully be done before the weekend is over. I want to get that far before I try working on one of my other stories again.

Here's hoping this chapter gave you a laugh.

Merry Christmas


	19. Chapter 19 Deadly Night

Chapter 19: …Deadly Night

Breakfast the next morning was a very mixed bag around too small a table. On the one side sat Ranma and his mother, both throwing death glares towards Happosai who was sitting on the floor entertaining little Newt. On the other side the three Tendo sisters, who all had slightly dreamy expressions on their faces. Seated at one end of the table were the fathers who, while looking tired and disgruntled about having their sleep interrupted, were also looking between Ranma and the Master with fearful glances. Looks Ranma returned with angry defiance seeing no reason why he should have to put up with the old freak's abuse any more. After half a year of being away from the old goat he was no longer callused to being the little goblin's plush doll.

On the other end sat Doctor Tofu sandwiched in between Abigail Lanshear and Patricia Henderson, the two firing off questions and measuring glances in equal measure. They had heard a great deal about the good doctor and as Kasumi's new friends, each felt it her responsibility to judge whether or not he was good enough for the Japanese witch in training.

He was really feeling the pressure so when he heard a happy Akane reminding her husband that they needed to head to the woods to train, he jumped on the opportunity to escape.

"Wait Ranma, Akane. If you don't mind, I would like to come along. I'm curious about these woods Kasumi wrote about and I have some training ideas for Ranma, since the book on meditation didn't help."

"Great Doc!" Ranma replied, excited out of his funk by the promise of new training.

"Sure Dr. Tofu." Akane added. "We would love to have you join us. We can show you where we trained this summer." She turned a meaningful look to their fathers. "Would anyone else like to come along?" She asked. She really wanted to show her father what she had learned and this would be the perfect opportunity.

"Um, well Akane, normally we would love to train with you but…" Her father cast a desperate glance towards his old training partner, fishing for an excuse not to go.

"Yes, quite right Tendo." Genma returned, searching the vacant corners of his mind for a way out. Genma's eyes lit up as he thought of what he felt was the perfect excuse. "But even though it isn't coming down right now, there is still a lot of snow on the ground, meaning little chance of avoiding our Jusenkyo curses. Now my son's shameful curse may be acceptable here, but this isn't Nerima and I fear people would not react well to a panda walking their streets."

"You're just trying to get out of a pounding pops." Ranma replied. He didn't miss the 'shameful curse' remark and after the night he had endured, he really wanted someone to take his frustrations out on.

"That won't be a problem uncle Genma." Akane interjected, putting the kabosh on the fathers' hopes of avoiding anything resembling work. "Ranma has a magic kettle that can heat up water anywhere."

"Yes, well uh…" Soun cast another desperate look towards his friend.

"That's…that's wonderful Akane, but if my fur is wet I won't be able to change back. Even with hot water." Genma did his best to sound disappointed, which drew a snort of disbelief from his son.

Akane, however, wasn't about to give up that easily. "That won't be a problem either uncle. Ranma and I both know a simple spell that will have you dry in no time."

Soun and Genma looked desperate. The look on Ranma's face was saying 'let's see you get out of this one pops'.

Suddenly, their salvation came from a most unexpected, and frankly unwelcome, source.

"I'm sorry Akane, but your father and Genma will be spending the day with me, training." Happossai smirked at the looks of dread now gracing the faces of his two disciples.

"This won't be like the Las Vegas training trip, will it?" Nodoka asked, her voice filled with skepticism.

Reminded of their last, grueling outing with the Master, Soun and Genma cast now slightly hopeful glances at the little goblin.

"Oh no! Nothing that extreme. My disciples seemed to have gotten lazy. They aren't doing their part to ensure the continuation of my art, instead expecting their children to shoulder the burden alone." Here he gave the fathers a harsh look. "I intend to fix that."

Soun and Genma had gone pale, Akane looked disappointed and Ranma, true he was going to miss out on a chance to pound the panda, but knowing Happossai whatever he had planned should be much worse. Ranma decided he could live with that.

****(Page break)

After breakfast, the varied members of the household went their separate ways.

Like dead men walking the fathers followed their diminutive tormentor, disappearing into the streets of the greater London area.

Nodoka, Kasumi, Abigail and Patricia went out to buy supplies for the Christmas party. Nabiki trailing along, she didn't want to miss out on a chance to see London.

Dr. Tofu, Akane and Ranma-Chan started jogging west, towards Cassiobury park. To Ranma's annoyance, the only thing his father's excuses had succeeded in doing was convincing his mother that he should go exercise in his girl form.

"But mom," He had argued. "like Akane said, we can use magic and my tea kettle if I change, so why can't I go as a boy?"

"Ranma," She had responded, giving him that look that only mothers seem to be able to pull off. "you know we aren't allowed to do magic were other people might see. What if you change along the way, you won't be able to change back until you either reach the woods or home. If that happened you would be a woman in a man's clothes and I will not have you embarrassing us that way. Now I know you don't like spending any more time as a girl then you have to but the weather calls for more snow and with us meeting at the Leaky Cauldron for dinner and then going to Daigon Alley…you know that there is little chance you could keep from getting wet. I'm sorry dear but…it would be best if you spent the day as my daughter." She could see how unhappy Ranma was with that so she decided to extend a small olive branch. "I'll tell what, why don't you bring some of your boy clothes with you this evening. You can change at the Cauldron and spend the rest of the evening as a man. The people on Daigon Alley already know about magic and if you don't mind them possibly finding out about your curse, then you can use your kettle to change back, alright?"

"Okay mom." Ranma had answered with an unconscious pout.

So it was a very disgruntled Ranma-Chan who followed Akane and Dr. Tofu, jogging to Cassiobury park. You would think that with all of this magic at her disposal, she could find a way to satisfy propriety and still spend as much time as possible as a guy.

"So Doc, this is it." Ranma announced upon the trios arrival at the summer's hidden training ground. It was still the same, the only thing she could see that was different from the last time they were there being the thin blanket of snow on the ground. Even their rock was the same, scorch marks from chi blasts still evident upon its surface.

Looking around, Akane said; "The muggle repelling charms have worn off Ranma. I'll have to recast them."

"_We'll_ recast them." Ranma responded smugly, proud that she could at last cast the spells too.

"All right baka." Pointing, "You go that way and I'll go this way. If you don't mind Doctor Tofu, Ranma and I will just be a minute. We have to renew the spells that keep people from wandering too close. The Ministry of Magic doesn't want the touki-rui to see us training."

"That's okay Akane." He reassured her. "I'll just start warming up."

"Okay Doc." So saying, Ranma disappeared into the trees with a wave.

Akane headed in the opposite direction.

While Ranma could now cast the necessary spells Akane was still quicker, the oft cast incantations easily coming back to her and she met her spouse almost three quarters of the way around the circle. After giving the redhead's last spell a quick inspection to ensure it was done right, she started towards the center where Tofu was waiting Ranma following behind.

They found the doctor in the midst of a slow Tai Chi form.

"Do either of you know any Tai Chi Chuan?" He asked the couple without stopping.

Akane shrugged. "A little." She answered. She didn't mention that she had learned by watching people practicing it in the park.

"Sure Doc." Ranma replied, a sliver of pride entering her voice and manner. "I learned a little of the Yang family forms in China." She didn't need to add that the form she had learned was the old one, from when Tai Chi was still a demanding military art (not practiced in parks by old people).

"Good, then you are familiar with the meditation forms?"

Ranma scratched the back of her head, a little ashamed. "Not really. Pop and I mostly concentrated on the second, faster forms. Pop didn't see much use for the stuff you see in parks."

Tofu frowned. "That's a shame Ranma. Yes, Tai Chi was created for fighting, but its greatest benefits are in maintaining physical and mental health. I'm sure both Happosai and Cologne practice it."

"Cologne maybe," Ranma responded with a shake of her head and a rueful grin. "but not the old freak. If it ain't useful for stealing underwear he ain't interested."

Tofu's own grin was a little chagrined. "Perhaps your right. Still, I think it might help you with your studies Ranma."

"How Doctor?" Akane asked, cutting off any rude or derogatory remarks Ranma might have uttered.

"Well Akane, Ranma wrote me that he wasn't having much luck with quiet meditation and I can't say I am surprised. He's too active a person for that." He gave Ranma a piercing look. "To be blunt Ranma, there are large areas of the art that your training has neglected."

"Yea, well there are some other things I wish we had skipped." Ranma shuddered, the memory of light reflecting eyes starring at him in the dark sending an icy shiver down her spine. "Still, how do ya think this could help me?"

"Well Ranma, Tai Chi practices meditation through motion, not stillness. The rhythmic movements and precise motions help to calm the mind even as it orders the body. It is my belief that practicing its slow forms will help you separate your focus from your emotions."

"I don't know Doc, but if you think it will help then I'm game. How do we start?"

****(Page break)

When Soun and Genma left with their master that morning they didn't know what to expect, but they had their fears. One trip to Vegas wasn't nearly enough to erase the memories of countless panty raids, or the beatings that came after one of the Master's visits to the women's side of the bath house.

Their fears, both great and small, did not include a visit to an out of the way English pub on the far side of London.

"There you go gents, three pints of bitter." The serving girl said with a smile as she placed a set of pewter steins upon their table. It was still morning, when most people were at work or running errands, so they were the only customers in the place. Many of the chairs were still up on tables.

"Thank you dear." Happi responded, giving her his best, innocent, old man smile as he patted her on the waist with a wrinkled hand.

Genma sniffed his drink suspiciously as the young lady walked away, a pleased smile crossing his face when his nose detected the strong scent of alcohol.

Still watching their waitress, Soun frowned when he witnessed her adjusting her skirt as if it didn't fit right. Turning back to his companions he nearly fell out of his chair with a start as he witnessed Happosai clutching a bit of silky white cloth in his tiny fist. The Master was rubbing it against his cheek with a contented sigh.

"_Master…_" Soun hissed out in a guarded whisper.

Reluctantly slipping the soft undergarment into the front of his Gi, Happi gave his former student a disappointed scowl.

"Soun, how do you ever expect to be a master of my art if you don't learn to appreciate the finer things in life?"

"The master is right Tendo." Genma said, pushing a stein into the Tendo patriarch's hand. "Relax, have a drink."

Knowing that there was nothing he could do to change the Master, Soun decided to do just that, only for a look of consternation to come to his face when he lifted the stein to his lips to drink. Studying his cup he realized that though it might be a pint in volume, at most it held half of that. He also noted that the rim was wet, as if someone had already been drinking from his glass. Throwing an accusing glare at his oldest friend, he wasn't surprised when Genma made an obvious effort to look everywhere but at him.

Before Soun could give voice to his suspicions, he was interrupted by Happosai.

"Soun, Genma, the future of the Art of Anything Goes is in danger. What are we going to do about the lovely Ranma-Chan and my dear, sweet Akane?"

"Master?" Soun and Genma queried in stereo, exchanging puzzled looks. They both thought the Master was happy about his heirs going to Hogwarts.

Being the braver of the two (or was that the more reckless?), Genma licked his lips nervously before asking the question that was on both their minds.

"Master, in what way is it in danger?"

Happosai scowled at them like they were two dunderheads.

"Why, its future you idiot! To my amazement you two did your part, but those children of yours have yet to do theirs." Happi paused to take a drink, before stabbing Genma with a piercing glare. "Last night I checked and that boy of yours has yet to know the feel of a woman. How are they going to ensure the future of my art if he refuses to get Akane with child? As my disciples, I expect you two to do something about this."

Soun and Genma exchanged worried looks. It had been hard enough getting the two married, how were they supposed to get them to consumate it?

****(Page break)

Late that afternoon, the extended Saotome/Tendo clan met at the Leaky Cauldron. Strangely, the Lanshears and the Hendersons chose not to accompany them. Almost equally surprisingly, Mei Lin insisted on coming along.

Happosai had disappeared sometime during their morning at the pub, leaving Soun and Genma with the bill. No one so much as mentioned his name least he suddenly come back.

First thing upon arriving, Ranma ducked upstairs to the bathing room to change. It was a much relieved, male, Ranma that rejoined his family in the tavern's common room.

Tom practically waited on them hand and foot, bringing them their dinner in record time. He seemed inordinately happy to see them. Besides, they were the only customers in the place.

"I wonder why no one else is here?" Kasumi said once their host was safely out of earshot.

"Maybe they're all home with their families." Akane ventured. "After all, tomorrow is Christmas Eve."

"I don't think so." Was Nabiki's response. "According to everything I've ever heard, the last days before Christmas are a mad frenzy of shopping. Everyone is too busy to stay home, especially in the evenings and it's not that late."

Certainly their experiences in muggle London supported that. Everywhere they went had been crowded. The ladies spent most of the day trying to avoid getting trampled by a stampede of frantic mothers, children in tow. Even Ranma and Akane, who had stopped with Dr. Tofu at a small café for lunch, had to fight the crowds. No one mentioned how crowded the trains were.

"There have been some problems lately." Mei Lin offered hesitantly. "Many are staying home unless they absolutely _have_ to go out."

"Problems? What sort of problems?" Soun asked, concerned for the safety of his girls.

"There have been some…unexplained disappearances. Add that to the return of _you know who_, and people are scared."

"Who do I know?" Soun asked absently. Maybe sending Akane to Hogwarts wasn't such a good idea after all.

Not bothering to look up from his meal, Ranma explained.

"She's talking about this mud wart guy. Apparently he's a criminal who leads a bunch of idiots who like to prey on the weak. Everybody says he's after this Potter kid from school."

Akane could see the fear rising in her father's eyes and knowing how over protective he could be, she jumped in to derail the conversation before the wailing and waterworks could start.

"No need to worry father." She assured him. "Just some rough politics and since we aren't involved, I doubt they will bother us. Right Mei Lin…I mean, none of the muggles seem the least bit worried so how bad can it be?"

The Chinese auror frowned. She honestly believed that the Saotomes were in no danger, but she also knew that the situation was far more dire than Akane was intimating.

"The situation _is_ worse than that, the muggles aren't involved so they are mostly left alone. You aren't involved either so there is no reason to expect any problems. Besides, the ministry has taken great care to ensure your safety while you are here. No one even knows where you are staying and as for Hogwarts, that castle is one of the most secure locations in the world."

Temporarily mollified, Soun settled back in his chair, returning his attention to the food before him.

****(Page break)

Stepping through the brick archway behind the Leaky Cauldron, those who had been to Daigon Alley before discovered that it had changed a lot since they were here in the Summer, and not for the better. The narrow, cobblestone street was nearly deserted. The once busy shops, their windows alive with colors as they showed their wares, mostly stood empty now. Some were even boarded up. All were plastered with weathered purple and white posters. A closer look revealed that most listed absurd security precautions. Others held moving images of what looked like escapees from a loony bin, with lists of their crimes. Some included murder. One scraggly haired woman looked like the Iron Witch from Russian folklore.

Akane decided that it was a good thing her father wasn't that good at reading English.

If the closed and shuttered stores weren't enough, the street was also cluttered with shoddy, abandoned temporary booths. It looked like a scene from a zombie apocalypse movie.

"Aw crap!" Ranma voiced his disappointment loudly as he stood before the boarded up window of Fortescue's Ice Cream Parlor. "And they had such good ice cream to. Not like that thin stuff back home."

For Ranma, this was the true tragedy of Daigon Alley.

"I'm starting to think that this might not be the best place to look for presents." Nabiki noted dryly.

"This certainly isn't as nice as it was before." Kasumi responded.

"No dear." Nodoka added, placing a hand briefly upon the elder Tendo's arm. "This is disappointing."

"I'm sorry." Mei Lin apologized. "I hadn't realized it was this bad."

Now that her task in Japan was completed, she more often than not found herself tied back to her desk in the Ministry. She had heard the rumors, read the reports, but seeing the reality of Voldemort's reign of terror was something else entirely.

"Hey look!" Ranma interrupted, his sharp eyes catching first movement, than bright colors further down the street. "Something's open further down."

The group followed in the direction he was pointing.

"Well, this looks lively." Nabiki said, her lips curling into a sardonic grin.

Set against the backdrop of empty shops, their store fronts plastered with water damaged, two tone posters, the street's edges cluttered with falling down wooden booths, the bright colors and flashing lights in the windows of the store before them hit the eye like a riot of overkill and madness. The window on the left was filled with an odd collection of novelty items that bounced, spun, jumped and even shrieked. The window on the right, while covered with a poster similar in appearance to the others lining the neighboring store fronts, was clearly intended as a parody.

"U-NO-POO?" Kasumi read, confused.

"What's 'consti-pa-tin'?" Ranma asked nobody in particular.

Akane blushed as she whispered the answer in his ear.

"What! Why would anyone want that?" Was his response.

"It's a gag and joke store." Mei Lin explained, embarrassed that the only store that seemed to be open was such a base example of English magical culture.

"Well, they certainly seem to be doing good business." Soun observed. He was peering through the left window at the crowd inside.

"There doesn't seem to be anywhere else open at the moment, so why don't we go inside and see what they have to offer." With that Nodoka pushed open the shop door, releasing a cacophony of noise that echoed disturbingly down the shadowed street.

****(Page break)

Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry was an edifice of magic that inspired awe in everyone who saw it. Weasley's Wizard Wheezes, on the other hand, was more likely to inspire involuntary giggling. It was a scene of the magical meets the manic. It's what Santa's workshop would look like…if the elves were all on meth. The Weasley joke shop was a wild cacophony of lights, noise, and most especially…motion. Everywhere you looked something was moving. Be it some spinning or dancing toy, the surging of the exuberant crowd, or boxes floating by in the air forcing patrons to duck or be struck in the head.

Standing by the rail of a stair that ran up through the middle of the shop, as if monarchs purveying their realm, stood Thing 1 and Thing 2, the twins, Fred and George Weasley.

Neither Ranma nor Akane had ever met the twins before but given the name of the store (and the painfully red hair on their heads), it didn't take a genius to connect them to Ron Weasley, someone they had met. They still held mixed opinions of Hermione's friend.

Given the chaotic nature of their surroundings it didn't take long before the Saotome/Tendo group had been divided up; by flashing lights, distracting noises, or just the frantic movements of the crowd. It was only the reflexive grabbing of a hand that kept Akane from losing her husband.

After some strolling around the couple found themselves standing beside a cage filled with pink and purple balls of fluff that were rolling about busily, making small squeaking noises.

"Oh! They're so cute!" Akane gushed.

Ranma was trying to determine if they were really cats in disguise (he wouldn't put it past the evil buggers). They didn't quite have the right shape and their cries didn't sound like meowing, but there was something about their coloring, something familiar…

"Thank you." Came a voice from behind them. "They're Pygmy Puffs, miniature puff skeins."

Turning about, Akane found one of the Weasley proprietors wearing a robe so shiny it literally reflected the light off in little magenta tinted rainbows.

"Are they dangerous?" She asked hesitantly.

"Crackers no!" Answered yet another voice from behind her. Turning about she found the other Weasley, wearing equally painful robes. Reaching into the cage he scooped out one of the more pink fur balls and before Akane knew what was happening it was resting comfortably in her hands a contented purr rising from it, one that sounded strangely _unlike_ that of a cat. "I think he likes you."

"Really?" Akane asked, instantly taken by the precious little bundle of fur. Holding it she was reminded of P-Chan and the comfort she took from cuddling her pet back home.

"You wouldn't happen to be…" One twin started.

"the new assistant professors at Hogwarts?" The other finished.

"We saw your pictures in the paper."

"Our brother Ron wrote about you."

"Said you made a fool out of that twit, Malfoy."

"Our sister Ginny wrote as well."

"She said you didn't get along with Professor Snape either."

"Which would make you the perfect people…"

"to help us introduce a new product."

"At tall, dark, and moody's expense, of course."

"Come with us." The twins said simultaneously, suiting action to words by each taking one of the bewildered couple by an arm and leading them into a back room.

They led Ranma and Akane down a short flight of stairs and into what looked like a mad man's workshop. Reaching into a box one of the twins pulled out and presented a bright, round, yellow badge with the words 'Kick Me!' written on it.

"A button?" Ranma asked, but his manner made it clear he was a little disappointed.

"Not just a button mate." One twin said.

"Here, let me demonstrate." The one holding it said, before slapping it against the chest of his brother.

With a subtle shimmer, one you wouldn't even notice if you weren't looking right at it, the Weasley boy's magenta robes disappeared to be replaced by a bright yellow Hawaiian shirt and garish red Bermuda shorts, complete with sandals and dark socks. There were images of pineapples and palm trees printed all across the shirt, causing Ranma and Akane to both take a defensive stance.

Throwing up his hands, the twin in the poor apparel said; "I know it's loud…"

"but there's no reason to get violent." The other finished.

"We call it the 'Makeover Button'." The twins said with uncanny synchronicity.

"It is self adhering and can't be removed for at least fifteen minutes."

"If carefully applied it might take hours before they even realize they're wearing it."

Relaxing her posture, Akane gave the crass outfit an appraising look. "You want us to dress Professor Snape as a tourist?"

"By Merlin's beard, no!"

"We have something more personal in mind."

"A special outfit…"

"designed just for Snape."

"So," They said in unison. "are you in?"

A matching set of grins was their answer.

While one twin, Fred, was explaining to Ranma exactly how the button worked and how easy it would be to smuggle it into the school, Akane pulled the other, George, aside.

"Would it be possible to get one of those buttons that lasted longer and could be used over and over again?" She asked in her quietest voice.

Scratching his chin, a mannerism reminiscent of his father, George Weasley considered her request.

****(Page break)

The ride back to Watford was a happy one, with the girls all cooing over Akane's new Pygmy Puff (being Japanese Ranma gave Akane her present early, not seeing a reason to wait).

Ranma, on the other hand, was nervously watching the fathers who had a definite air of mischief about them. Puzzled, he watched them, struggling to come up with ideas of what the misguided duo could be plotting. He and Akane were already married, so what could the old fools be planning now?

The sun had already set by the time they made it home where Medwin soon joined them from next door. Under the cover of night, with both Medwin and Mei Lin casting muggle repelling charms on the rear windows of the houses behind them, the wand wielding ladies of the household used spells to clear a large patch of the back yard of snow, drying the ground for the men folk to spread the tent from the cellar upon. Again with the aid of their wands and several Erecto spells, they quickly put up the tent. It was spelled within to be larger on the inside than the out so that it was effectively bigger than the dojo hall back in Tokyo. Easily large enough to hold all three families and the tables and chairs yet stored in the cellar.

Finished with the preparations that needed to be done without witnesses, they all turned in for the night.

****(Page break)

The day of Christmas Eve passed pleasantly enough and oh so quickly. The three houses that sat side by side on Percy St were busy as bee hives with preparations for the night's festivities. The kitchens in all three hummed along like factories, ovens blazing and every food preparation surface available covered with sugary confections (and chocolate, lots of chocolate), followed later by the makings of a grand feast unlike any that ever graced the Tendo home in Tokyo. While Kasumi and Nodoka filled the house with the rich smell of cooking pastries and the wafting aroma of roasting meat, Akane and Nabiki oversaw Ranma, Tofu and the fathers setting up tables, chairs and decorations within the tent.

Happosai had yet to return and no one was missing him.

****(Page break)

There was a house in another part of England that was filled with equal levels of expectation, if totally devoid of Christmas cheer. Here, the Crabbe and Goyle patriarchs gathered a squad of Death Eaters in preparation for their own brand of holiday celebration.

One they vowed all of England would not soon forget.

****(Page break)

Christmas Eve night Ranma-Chan slipped through the back door of the house and abandoning a pair of black, high heel boots in the mud room (they went with the red Santa's little helper outfit she was wearing), she quickly dashed across the kitchen and up the stairs so fast she left after images behind. Moments later she returned dressed in her traditional Chinese silks, only the fuzzy red hat with its white puff ball remaining from her Christmas attire.

Turning on the kitchen sink and waiting for the water to heat up, she muttered disconsolately to herself.

"Why is it these Tendo girls always feel the need to dress me up for karaoke? Why do they always insist I sing as a girl for that matter?"

By that time the water was warm enough and it was Ranma-Kun who finished his previous thought.

"My guy voice isn't that bad. Heck, nobody complains when Hiroshi or Daisuke sing and their voices are much worse than mine."

It was one of those mysteries he was probably fated to never understand. At least Newt enjoyed it, he reminded himself, warmed by the memory of her excited clapping and exuberant smile. In many ways this was the little blonde girl's first Christmas and she was milking it for all it was worth.

Apparently it was worth a lot, if the laughter wafting through the backyard was the measure you judged by. Everyone was enjoying themselves and even though all of their friends still in Nerima couldn't make it, their new friends; the Henderson's, Lanshear's and Mei Lin more than made up for it. Besides, they had received a card from Ryouga, addressed to both Ranma and Akane for a change. It seems the no longer lost boy had decided to use his newfound talent for traveling to take Akari to a little town he knew where the locals took celebrating Christmas really seriously. The picture in the card showed Ryouga and Akari waving happily, surrounded by snow, decorated pine trees, and tiny little people with pointed hats and equally pointed ears.

Nabiki said it must be a mall somewhere in America, why else would there be children dressed up like elves? She pointed out a bell bedecked deer in the background as further proof.

Ranma wasn't so sure though, the snow and trees seemed to go on for a long ways. Too long for a display in some mall, not even the one in Edmonton was that big.

Once again male, and having been alerted to the presence of his hat by its swinging puff ball, Ranma tossed it on the table and proceeded out the door and back to the party.

Stepping out on the step, he hesitated before entering the brightly lit tent. He sensed something, magic that wasn't coming from inside the tent. Looking about for its source he failed to find it. He was preparing to leap to the roof to seek a better vantage point, when a light went on in the upper floor window of the house behind their own.

Ranma hesitated, debating jumping up anyway, but couldn't forget what happened the last time one of their neighbors spotted him up there. It was last summer and he had awoken from a nightmare about Jusendo. Driven by his fears for Akane, Ranma first crept upstairs to peek through her door, then his mother's and Kasumi's. Reassured that everything was fine he went outside and up on the roof as was his habit back in Nerima, sitting upon the peak above Akane's room.

Unfortunately one of the neighbors saw him up there and called the police.

What followed was a scene of pure embarrassment as the arriving bobbies woke the entire household with their knocking. It fell upon Kasumi to explain who he was and reassure the officers that he wasn't a burglar, just a restless teenager.

The officers had laughed but Akane hadn't found it funny, accusing him of trying to peek in her window.

The Saotome foot in mouth disease had struck as he angrily explained to her that he didn't need to peek through her window as he had already done so through her door.

While his mother swooned over the promise of grandchildren, Akane had retrieved a glass of cold water and throwing it in his face, she told Ranma that if he really wanted to see a girl naked she should go get a mirror.

A sputtering Ranma started to retaliate with claims that she was better looking anyway, but her angry wife had already returned to bed.

Deciding that was one experience he didn't wish to repeat, he ignored whatever it was he was sensing and passed into the light and laughter within the tent.

****(Page break)

The shadows on Percy Street seemed to have grown unnaturally thick, thick enough to provide cover for the group of robed and masked Death Eaters that were gathered across the street from the Tendo/Saotome house.

A small black ball, about an inch in diameter, descended into the waiting palm of one of the Death Eaters. It had barely seen gossamer wings that looked similar to those on a golden snitch and there was a stylized eye engraved upon its face. In the dark of night the tiny ball was nearly impossible to see as it flew down from the sky above.

"They're all gathered in a tent behind the house," The Death Eater who held it said from behind her black and silver mask. "and they're not alone. The Chinese Auror is with them, along with that mud blood Medwin and his filthy muggle family. There is also a family of squibes and the rest of the Eastern trash as well."

Glancing towards their burly leader, she continued with her narrative.

"Another teenage girl and four men, two middle aged and one that appears to be ancient and possibly of mixed blood; dwarf or goblin maybe. There was a redhead, but she went into the house and the Saotome boy came out."

With his mask on she couldn't see the lascivious leer that spread across the Crabbe patriarch's face when she spoke of the addition of two teenage girls, but there was no mistaking the malevolent tone of his scratchy voice, or the brutal nature of the orders he gave.

"No killing curses, just capture them for now. The Dark Lord wants them to suffer before they die." Drawing his wand from beneath his robes, he added; "Let no harm come to the girls. Anyone who so much as mars their pretty faces will answer to me."

He gave each a hard stare, waiting until they all gave a sign of acknowledgment.

"What about the Auror?" The woman with the ball asked. "Do we leave her untouched as well?"

She knew what her pure blood leader intended with the women and it turned her stomach to think about, but she dare not interfere. Not with Lord Voldimort having given Crabbe permission to do with them as he would.

Even with the obscuring cloth wrapped about him, she could tell that the brutish thug gave her question serious thought before answering.

"No, she is an Auror. Do what you must."

Orders given, Crabbe led the way across the street and with a wave of his wand to unlock the door (they had already compromised the house's magical defenses while their targets were enjoying the party) into the downstairs hall. Seeing no one about, he quietly directed Goyle and one other up the stairs to find the redhead. That done, he lead the others down the hall, through the kitchen and out the back door where they spread out around the tent. Each Death Eater had participated in many such raids and did not need to be told what to do now that the violence was about to begin.

****(Page break)

Within the tent the eggnog and spiced cider flowed as the party continued. Presents were exchanged; Ranma had already given Akane her Pygmy Puff and she promised that she did have a gift for him, but it wasn't ready yet. Kasumi received a silver cauldron, ideally suited for use with her mother's _other_ recipe book. Nabiki was given copies of the Hogwarts primer books to help her study magic on her own, until her sisters came home to share what they had learned. Mother Nodoka didn't receive the gift she wanted most, she wanted grandchildren to fill her empty home with childish laughter, instead she was given a wizard's painting of Ranma and Akane. It had been made by one of their more artistically talented students. The fathers, Soun and Genma, were given a wizard's chess set. Akane had wanted to get them a Go game that had been enchanted to not allow cheating, but Ranma convinced her that the cheating was the only reason their fathers played it. He sarcastically told her that if their fathers ever tried winning the game based on clever strategy they would both lose. Ranma and Akane were given a heart, about four inches across, made half of white chocolate and half of dark. It was given to them by Soun and Genma, who claimed they found it in a small confectionary in London. Genma had spouted off some speech about how it symbolized their union in both the art and marriage. Soun just spouted tears as he cried out how the schools would finally be united and how proud Akane's mother would have been. Ranma viewed it with suspicion (why hadn't his father eaten it himself?) but Akane accepted it with tears of her own (mostly from embarrassment).

Inside the tent the party was just starting to die down, when Ranma, Akane, Tofu, the fathers and even the old letch, sensed the presence of hostile chi outside the flimsy cloth structure. With but a glance, out of ingrained habit they moved to take defensive positions around the others.

If the Death Eaters were counting on the advantage of surprise and shock, they were going to be sorely disappointed.

With a nod from Crabbe, the Death Eaters led their attack with Diffindo charms, shredding the walls of the tent. Quickly stepping through the new rents in its cloth sides, several followed up by firing Incendio flames from their wands at the roof above, igniting it. Drawing attention was their intention and the flames should do that nicely. The others searched the faces in the tent for that of the greatest threat to their plans, the Auror Mei Lin, who quickly found herself trapped in an endless cycle of Protego shield charms as she struggled to block attacks from no less than three Death Eaters.

Crabbe spotted Medwin's face in the crowd as the later moved to stand before Abigail and the children. Facing one of the Death Eaters, the woman with the orb, Medwin unwittingly showed his back to Crabbe. Brutish thug that he was, Crabbe was not in the habit of letting opportunities for mayhem pass him by. With a disarming spell he tore Medwin's wand from his hand, the force of the spell spinning the other wizard about, leaving him open to a Stupify spell from his original attacker. Medwin went down amidst the screams of his wife.

Nabiki, all too used to staying safely on the sidelines during Ranma and Akane's adventures, failed to respond quickly enough to the threat and was taken down by means of a Stupify spell of her own.

Soun screamed in rage at the sight of his little girl falling on the ground. Calling upon his most powerful technique, he summoned forth his demon head and sent it charging towards Nabiki's attacker. A construct of pure emotion charged chi, the demon head slammed into the Death Eater with all the power of a Patronus charm, sending the robed form flying back through a rent in the tent wall to lie unconscious upon the cold ground.

Kasumi had been holding a nodding Newt, preparing along with Abigail and Patricia to take the sleepy children home and put them to bed, when a black robed figure pointed its wand at her threateningly. Arms full, she couldn't draw her wand even if the thought had crossed her mind. She watched helplessly as the intruder sent a spell flying her way.

At the last moment, the view of her assailant was obscured by Tofu's back. Arms waving in wide sweeping motions, the learned doctor brushed the Death Eater's hexes aside to shatter harmlessly against the smoldering roof above.

Stunned, mind unable to grasp that the long haired foreigner had just blocked his spells without the benefit of a wand, the Death Eater was unprepared to defend himself as Tofu lashed out at him, striking several key points with his chi charged fingers. The once arrogant Death Eater became a spectator as his body collapsed, unresponsive, to the ground.

Broken from her stupor by Tofu's heroics, Kasumi now responded like the daughter of a martial artist. Holding Newt firmly against her breast with one hand, she used the other to flip the table next to them on its side. Crouching behind its shelter, while the doctor provided a defensive wall at her back, she used her wand to first cast a hardening and impervious to flame charm on the table, before using levitate to bring Medwin and Nabiki's still forms behind its shelter. Mr. Henderson ushered his wife and children to join her, while Abigail and her crying infant were quick to follow Medwin.

Seeing Medwin and Nabiki fall, followed by her father's demon head attack, Akane rushed the much larger form of Crabbe.

With a contemptuous sneer that couldn't be seen through his mask, the pure blood lashed out at the charging girl with hex after hex.

Akane used her wand to block and falling into one of the forms she and Ranma had created, she used it to weave an impenetrable defense. Exploiting the openings created by the form, Akane made her way forward, closing with her attacker.

Crabbe actually found her defensive dance amusing, right up until the moment her foot found his belly. Followed by the back of her hand to his jaw. Then the point of her wand as Akane fired off a Stupify of her own at point blank range, the force so great it lifted the big man from his feet and threw him across the tent to crumple against a food laden table.

While it was true this was a party the wizards and witches of England would not soon forget, the arrogant pure blood would have only the vaguest memories of the night. His mind having been addled by the successive blows to his head and pride.

Ranma, Genma and Master Happossai had not been idly standing by.

With a tap of his pipe, Happi sent the closest Death Eater flying out of the tent and through the fence into the Lanshear's back yard. He then proceeded to leap from one robed form to another in a seemingly nonsensical pattern. At least until you heard the cries of indignant feminine rage and saw his hands full of silky darlings.

With a lightning fast Moko taka bisha and a leg sweep, Ranma took down two Death Eaters who were threatening his mother, freeing her to run and join Kasumi and the others behind Tofu and the table. Recognizing this as the perfect opportunity to try out one of his new, adapted techniques in real combat, he turned to the three attacking Mei Lin and with a corkscrew twist of his arms, palms flared, he sent a Hatsuru Gyakufu at them. The spell took the form of a tremendous blast of wind that hurled them away, even as it whipped their flesh and slashed their robes as they had done the tent.

At the first attack, Genma had wrapped the veil of the silent thief about himself. Then proceeded to prove that just because he was out of sight, didn't mean he should be forgotten. Death Eater after Death Eater were surprised by having their hoods pulled down over their eyes, their legs tripped up causing them to fall, only to find their wands missing when they finally managed to right themselves. The stealing of wands and weapons was a central technique in the school of Anything Goes (that and underwear. Who knows which came first).

Thinking quickly, the witch with the spying orb cast a Homenum Revilio, the wafting waves of the charm revealing Genma where he stood behind one of her fellows.

Acting on instinct, the large fighter used a judo throw to send the Death Eater flying towards her, then calling upon the Saotome Final Technique, he ran.

The Death Eater was trying to draw a bead on the fleeing man in white, when she was distracted by a strange sense of freedom, followed by the touch of a draft beneath her robes.

"Oh, thank you my dear! This is for you."

Looking down, she saw the wrinkled little man run off with what appeared to be her lucky panties fitted over his bald head. Changing targets, she was confounded to find that her wand was gone and in its place she was now holding what appeared to be a tightly wrapped ball of paper. Her mind just had time to realize it was a ball with a lit fuse, before the Happo Fire Burst went off in her face bringing a swift end to the fight for her.

****(Page break)

To his frustration, Goyle and his companion searched the upper floor of the house but found no sign of the redhead, or anyone else for that matter. Deciding that she must have returned to the tent just before the Death Eaters entered the house, he gestured for his fellow to follow then went downstairs and out the back door to join in the fun.

From the outside he saw exactly what he expected to see, the tent in flames, the great rents in its sides wafting in the wind created by the rising heat. Upon entering, he found something totally unexpected. The interior was a scene of havoc, tables and chairs knocked over, food flung about as if by a storm. To the big man's surprise, most of his compatriots were scattered about the floor. The few who were left standing quickly falling before the might of their intended victims. Spotting his friend Crabbe lying unconscious beneath a near by table, his cowardly instincts kicked in and grabbing his friend, he side apperated away. His companion, the only Death Eater still standing, turned to him just in time to see them disappear. Looking back up, he found several angry Asian faces staring back. With a surprised 'eep', he too apperated out.

****(Page break)

The day after Christmas Minister Scrimgeour sat in his office with a look of frustration etched upon his face. The corners of his mouth turned up slightly into a pleased smile when his assistant placed a copy of the morning's Daily Prophet on his desk. There in bold letters was the headline 'Christmas attack thwarted, more than a dozen Death Eaters captured!'. The names of those attacked was withheld for their own safety, it said. Instead attributing the capture to the Aurors. Again no names were mentioned, or the fact that only one had been present. Proud as he was of the success of his little diversion, Scrimgeour still preferred to let the people believe that the capture of so many was due to the diligence and efforts of their government. Sometimes the truth was of little value when dealing with the herding of sheep.

If only his efforts with that blasted Potter had gone so well!

Author's notes:

There it is, one year, two months and a couple of weeks behind schedule, but Christmas is finally past. I dedicated the last months to this story, the last few weeks just upon the attack at the Christmas party which I'm still not happy with (it's too stilted) but to be frank I'm sick of beating my head upon it. So there it is.

I don't have much more planned for this story, just lessons with Twycliff, Valentines, then the attack on Hogwarts and the death of Dumbledore. Then I can get on to the 'Black Lotus', dropping the help and the hindrance of using someone else's story.


	20. Chapter 20 Paybacks aLolita?

Chapter 20: Paybacks a…Lolita?

"You are coming home and that's final!" Soun declared in his strongest and most authoritative voice. Amazingly enough this was one of the few times when he stood up to his girls without bursting into tears…yet.

Christmas morning hadn't proven to be the joyous occasion Kasumi and Nodoka had planned. Instead of opening presents, the residents of the three houses on Percy Rd. spent the morning packing. The presence of several dour faced Aurors on their front steps did little to rekindle the festive spirit, but Kasumi tried. While Nodoka packed, the Tendo matriarch spent her morning whipping up a breakfast fit for a king or emperor. It was her way of saying goodbye to her little sister and their new friends.

It had been decided by the Ministry that Nodoka and Kasumi would have to leave England and they weren't the only ones.

Patricia Henderson and her children were leaving to stay with family in Canada, far from England and the troubles of the magical community. Her husband, William, still had to finish out the school year so he wasn't going with them. His extended family were all muggles and he had already arranged to stay with a cousin who lived on the west end of Watford. There was little fear that the Death Eaters would go through the trouble of tracking down a family of squibs.

Medwin, on the other hand, was a wizard with two half blood children and knew full well that each bore a death mark. So long before the sun came up he had pulled the Tendo and Saotome family matriarchs and patriarchs aside and in an almost pleading voice asked if Abigail, Newt and Finley could return with them to Japan. Nodoka and Kasumi had immediately said yes, while Soun and Genma quickly promised to protect them on their honor as martial artists. For just a moment Akane and her sisters had been blessed to see their father as he was before his wife passed on, promising with confidence to protect their friends.

Unfortunately that request had ignited another fire in his heart, this one of fear.

"But dad!"

"I am your father Akane" He announced in an effort to cut off further argument. "and you will obey me. With these Death Eaters running about England, it is not safe for you here. I am taking you back home where we can protect you for your own good. Am I not right, Saotome?"

In the past Soun had looked to his wife for moral support when confronting a willful daughter, now he turned to the questionable backing of his old friend.

"Quite right Tendo." Genma declared in a tone of voice normally associated with Charlton Heston in a Cecil B. DeMille movie. Not that his tone was having much affect on Soun's raven haired firecracker.

"But Hogwarts is safe! You heard Mei Lin, it is probably the safest place on Earth!"

"Not to disparage Miss Braithwaite, but she said the same thing about this place and look how that turned out." Countered her father.

It was Kasumi, in her role as substitute matriarch, who stepped in to play mediator ( and manipulator ). "Now Akane, you should listen to father. Anything Goes martial arts is no match for these Death Eaters and their magic. Isn't that right father?"

Gratified by his eldest daughter's support, Soun was nodding his head yes and halfway to verbally expressing his agreement, when Kasumi's words _almost_ sank in.

More used to being insulted and doubted, Genma was quicker to respond to her disparaging comment.

"Now see here Kasumi, these western arts are no match for the martial arts of the East, much less so powerful a craft as Anything Goes. You saw it yourself, there were more than a dozen of these Death Eaters here last night and we took them down with ease."

"My husband is right Kasumi dear." Seated beside her husband, one hand reaching out to rest upon his forearm in a gesture of love and support, Nodoka joined the conversation. With Genma having taken Ranma away on their training trip at so young an age she had not nearly the experience even Kasumi had at manipulating a man of the house, but then she was a woman and some things just seemed to be hard wired in. "Last night proved that a master of Anything Goes is more than a match for any of these violent brutes. Why even Akane, the least experienced, managed to handle that ruffian with little effort. Isn't that so husband?"

Had Genma stayed home with his wife, instead of spending ten years wandering the roads of first Japan and then China with his son, he might have recognized the trap his wife had laid before him. Instead in his overconfidence he fell for it hook, line, and sinker. It was like fishing for koi in a pond…with dynamite.

"Of course No-Chan. With the power of Anything Goes even Akane is more than a match for several of these lowly thugs, to say nothing of what Tendo or myself could do, or even Ranma. No offense Medwin but your magic is not really suited for combat."

Medwin waved his hands before him "No offense taken." he reassured with a bemused smile. Being married himself, the English wizard had fallen victim to a wife's manipulations many times and he was enjoying witnessing it from the side lines for a change. "Akane took down her attacker with, I must admit, embarrassing ease."

"See Kasumi." Soun declared proudly, his chest puffed out, shoulders back, head held high with his chin jutting forth in defiance. "With our family's art, your sister is more than a match for any witch or wizard."

Kasumi draped an appropriate look of contrition across her face. "My apologies father, Akane, for ever doubting. Yes father is right, Akane and Ranma will be perfectly safe at Hogwarts. I hope you can forgive me."

"It is alright Kasumi dear, it is only natural for you to worry about your baby sister, admirable even. Isn't that right Saotome?"

"Very Tendo. Kasumi's love for her sister is an inspiration to us all. Isn't that so No-Chan?"

"Yes husband." Nodoka answered, looking for all the world like she couldn't even imagine not agreeing with her wise husband. Turning to Ranma and Akane, she gave each an affectionate smile. "Still, we will be anxiously awaiting the day you return home to start your own family. Not that we would mind if you started a little early dears. There are after all, only four more months of school left and Akane would be just beginning to show by the time you graduate."

At which point Nodoka and the fathers all wandered off into la la land, while Ranma tried to cough up the food that had just gone down the wrong tube and Akane turned bright red with embarrassment.

****(Page break)

Given that it was only one day after Christmas, the common room of the Three Brooms Tavern was surprisingly crowded when first Ranma and then Akane stumbled out of the fireplace in a flare of green flame. They weren't wearing their school uniforms as classes weren't scheduled to resume until after New Years, so none of the other patrons realized that their early return was unusual. At the moment they appeared to be no more than two youngsters visiting the tavern for a glass of Butter Beer. Of course the patrons were ignorant of the fact that after the events on All Hallows Eve neither one of the young couple could face the sweet concoction without a shudder of distaste ( and in Ranma's case, a fearful look over his shoulder ). At Akane's suggestion the teens did stay for a hot cup of cocoa. Taking their steaming beverages, they claimed a small table near a window where they could look out to the snow laden street beyond.

"This ain't exactly how I was hoping to spend the holidays, shut up in that castle with stuffy professors." Ranma grumbled in disappointment.

Akane gave a heavy sigh. "I know how you feel. I was really looking forward to spending a week with my family." She gave the boy across from her a shy look. "I miss the way things were during the summer." She said, tentatively.

Ranma was still staring out the window, lost in thought as he responded absently; "Yea, me too." He was too lost in thought to be embarrassed by his unwitting admission.

"I was so looking forward to showing Dad and Nabiki what we've learned." Akane added looking out the window, her voice dejected.

"Hey, don't sweat it Akane." Ranma turned to look her in the eye, seeking to cheer her up. "It just means we'll have more time to plan our little surprise for blondie and tall, dark and gruesome." He gave his jacket pocket a meaningful pat, a reminder of Nabiki's special delivery. Akane was carrying Kasumi's own contribution to the plan in her school bag, along with Fred and George's button. Thanks to the Weasley twins, they had learned just how easy it would be to sneak miscreant magic into the castle. Giving her his most mischievous grin, Ranma went on to add; "I just wish everyone was going to see the jerk's face, not just the rest of the bakas in Slytherin."

Akane hadn't really thought of that, but now that he mentioned it… "Maybe there is." She almost whispered.

"Huh? I don't see how Akane. If we try to sneak other students into the Slytherin Dormitory it will just ruin our chances of getting him and you remember what Nabiki said about plausi…plasti…about not leaving any evidence that we did it."

"Plausible deniability, and yes I do remember. But do you remember that kid with the camera?"

"Goz?" He asked, confused.

"No baka, the kid at Hogwarts, the one who wants to be a reporter…Oh! If only I could remember his name! Then maybe we could get him to take some pictures for us."

Ranma looked thoughtful, a truly rare sight. "Why don't we just buy a camera of our own? I mean, Kasumi did and I bet there's a place here in Hogsmead that sells them."

So it was that less than two hours later, Akane and Ranma-Chan ( you didn't honestly think Ranma could walk that far in the snow without _something_ triggering his curse, did you? ) were entering the school gates with a small wizard's camera in their possession. During the inspection for malignant magic at the gates the Aurors performing the search didn't give the potion vial or button in Akane's bag a second glance. They weren't, after all, the least bit dangerous nor overtly threatening and the ministry's tests ignored them just as the twins said they would. As for the vial Ranma held in the weapon space of his breast pocket…it wasn't actually dangerous either and whatever dark residue it may have held was eclipsed by the shadow of Ranma's own curse. The Aurors passed them without problem.

****(Page break)

Over the holiday break most of the students and many of the staff had left Hogwarts to spend Christmas with their families. For Ranma and Akane this meant that all of their new friends were gone, leaving them to spend the week with the likes of Minerva McGonagall and Horace Slughorn. In spite of the fact that he claimed her mother was one of his favorite students, Slughorn had already managed to insult the fiery Tendo so she didn't welcome his company and as for McGonagall, something about her just ate at Ranma's nerves. Argus Filch was there but he reminded both Saotomes too much of Gozunkugi, a person neither missed or wanted to spend time with. Headmaster Dumbledore was gone as well, though the other students present assured them that for at least five years previous he had been there as any family he might have had were probably long since dead. At least, no one knew of any. Professor Snape wasn't there either. Ranma's only response was to say that even Hitler's mother loved him.

So the Japanese couple spent the week training and being annoyed that though everyone seemed to have heard about the Christmas Eve attack, no one knew it had involved them and they were all under the mistaken impression that the Ministry's Aurors had been the ones to defeat the Death Eaters. Ranma was furious and even Akane was disappointed to learn that, for what she considered to be her first really successful duel, the credit for her victory was being given to nameless, faceless others. Not even Mei Lin was named and she at least had been there, fighting along side them.

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_One week later_

The Holiday break was over and the halls of Hogwarts were once again filled with the annoying prattle of children as Severus Snape made his way towards the Great Hall for dinner. Normally he would have already been seated at the head table with the other professors, waiting for the newly returned students to arrive for the first meal, but this year he had been delayed by a summons from Lord Voldimort.

The Dark Lord had been more than a little irate over the failure of the Christmas attack and the arrest of so many Death Eaters. He had dismissed his followers with orders to find the missing Crabbe and Goyle patriarchs. The only other Death Eater to escape the failed attempt on the Saotomes was foolish enough to answer the summons and had been subsequently fed to Nagini, as an example of the fate that awaited those who displeased their master with such blatant incompetence. The memory of the poor man's fate sent a cold shiver down the dark robed wizard's spine and for a moment he could have sworn he felt unfriendly eyes upon him. Wound tight as piano wire by his continuing masquerade as a loyal Death Eater, the DADA teacher's wand was out, eyes searching the shadows in the dimly lit hall for attackers before his conscious mind even realized what he was doing. Finding no one, or a threat of any kind, Snape quickly returned his wand to its place within his robes. Just grateful that no one had been their to see him jumping at shadows. So fixated was he on the lit doorway of the Great Hall he failed to see the shadow that dropped down from the ceiling, landing on silent cat feet behind him.

Entering the miasma of light and noise Severus walked down the aisle between the students tables, arms held stiffly at his sides. His steps were quick and forceful, arrogant, the cold sneer on his face radiating his contempt for those around him. A strange sense of unease flickered up in the back of his mind as the children fell silent with his passage, their uncharacteristic behavior tickling the hairs on the back of his neck. He was more than halfway to the teachers' table when he stopped, turning to survey the students seated at the tables to either side of him. As he did, he was disturbed to see many struggling to hide giggles behind raised hands. He was even more dismayed to see that the number so challenged was growing with every passing second.

"Yo! Professor Snape!" The mocking voice of the Saotome brat called out from where he was taking his place beside the diminutive Filius Flitwick. "What's up? You lose a bet or something?" The boy asked, a sly cat's grin on his face. To Ranma's right Akane sat with her head slightly bowed, her bright red face hidden within her hands, only her watering eyes could be seen peering over slender fingers from beneath her bangs. To the boy's left the charms professor was holding his belly, face scrunched up as if in pain as high pitched laughter fought to slip out past pursed lips. The giant oaf Hagrid, had tears running down blushing cheeks, his hands squeezed shut so tightly that his cup had been crushed, juice flowing over his great fingers to drip onto the table below. The headmaster's face was unreadable behind his beard, but Minerva's expression was struggling between that of a giggling school girl, and the disapproving scowl of an old school marm. Professor Sprout and nurse Pomfrey looked gob smacked, while Horace struggled to breath around something that went down the wrong tube.

Severus didn't know what was going on but he was sure it was somehow the Asian curs fault, so he turned to Ranma giving the boy his sternest, most intimidating stare. Which was apparently too much as not only Ranma but the entire student body ( even the Slytherins ) broke down in laughter. Not even Dumbledore could refrain from an amused smile, while the deputy headmistress lost the battle, her inner teenager erupting in gales of girlish glee.

What Snape didn't realize was that his usual somber robes had been replaced with an outfit that Elvira, Queen of the Night might wear ( after imbibing a great deal of alcohol that is ). It consisted of a ribbed black corset with heavy red stitching and oversized silver buttons. His arms were now covered by sleeves of black lace, his legs a puffy black skirt with a high slit that exposed purple petticoats over chunky black combat boots and red hose. In short, he was dressed like a goth lolita girl at a cosplay convention. The only deviation from the theme being the bright yellow button with the words 'Kick Me!' boldly printed across it, resting low between his shoulder blades.

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Severus Snape was furious.

"Am I to understand that that boy, whom barely qualifies as a student, made a mockery of a _Hogwarts professor _in front of the entire student body and he is not going to be punished or _even censored_?"

It was only Snape's iron will and intense practice at controlling his emotions that allowed him to hold his voice level and his body still as he addressed his _friend_, headmaster Dumbledore.

The school's staff was once again in the headmaster's office discussing the possible punishment of a student, only this time Dumbledore had wisely decided that Ranma and Akane need not be present.

"And what," Minerva McGonagall asked primly, "would you punish Mr. Saotome for? We have no proof that he is responsible for your…_unfortunate_ experience at dinner."

"I'm afraid she's right, Severus." Filius intruded, cutting off any response from Snape. Holding up the bright yellow button, he went on to explain; "This clever bit of magic is a product of Weasley's Wheezes, readily available to any student at the school and given that the Saotomes have had no previous contact with Fred or George Weasley, there is no reasonable reason to suspect that Ranma is responsible. I'm sorry Severus, but as Minerva said, there is no proof."

"Is there not even to be an investigation then?" Snape directed his question at the headmaster. "Have you even questioned him?"

"Really Severus, what would be the point?" Horace Slughorn interjected. "Surely the boy would deny everything and we would be right back were we started."

"Then we pour veritaserum down his throat. Three drops and we will have all the proof we need to expel Mr. Saotome."

"Now Severus…" Dumbledore started, only to be interrupted by Minerva.

"And will Mr. Malfoy also be subjected to such methods, Severus?" She asked.

"Of course not." He scoffed. "Draco is the scion of an old and noble house. His word is…"

The old harridan angrily cut him off. "So is Lucious and he now sits in Azkaban, a murderer and Death Eater! Are we now going to base guilt or innocence on blood purity?"

"The dignity of a professor was assaulted!" Snape was beginning to lose control of his temper.

"As was the virtue of a young girl!" Minerva hissed back. She was still angry about the events on All Hallows Eve, and the complete lack of action taken by the school in response. She was more than ready to butt heads with the incensed and embarrassed DADA professor. "Which is more important Severus, your pride or the safety of our students?!"

"Enough!" For the first time that any of them could remember, Albus had raised his voice in anger. "That is quite enough." Dumbledore made an obvious effort to calm himself. "I'm sorry Severus, but there will be no questioning of Mr. Saotome, with or without veritaserum. As I did with Mr. Saotome after he was attacked, I am asking you to put this behind you, for the good of the school."

Stiffening his back, Snape drew a deep breath, reigning his emotions back in. "If Mr. Saotome was responsible then clearly he has not 'put it behind him'. Am I to just wait for him to attack me again?"

"No Severus. I promise you, I will personally talk to Mr. And Mrs. Saotome. And Severus, as head of Slytherin I ask you to talk to Mr. Malfoy. Let's stop this now before it gets even worse."

"I…" For a moment, Snape almost looked defeated. "It is possible that Mr. Malfoy will not heed my council. After what happened with his father…Draco is feeling vulnerable, threatened. He no longer trusts me as he once did. There is the distinct possibility that in his fear, he may do something…rash. Will we abandon him because of what his father did?"

The last was directed towards all of the professors, but it was Dumbledore who answered.

"No Severus, but please, try to control him, for his own good if nothing else."

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After the other professors left his office the headmaster called out for Lint, sending her to ask the Saotomes to join him in his office. After she disappeared he spent several minutes looking up at the pictures of the previous headmasters, contemplating how he could best use the young couples' sense of honor and duty to override their stubborn pride and end this growing feud.

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"Just remember Akane, we don't know nothing." Ranma whispered pleadingly to his nervous wife as they walked down the hall towards the headmaster's office.

"I don't know if I can lie to Dumbledore, Ranma." She whispered back. "And I know you can't, at least not convincingly."

Looking about nervously to ensure no one was close enough to have overheard her comment, Ranma waved his hands in aborted gestures intended to remind her of the need for secrecy. That done he decided to try another tact. "We're not gonna lie Akane, we just don't admit to anything. Remember, we have that plastic deniability thing."

"Plausible…" She corrected, half heartedly.

The young couple hadn't been surprised when Lint appeared at their door, bearing the headmaster's request that they join him in his office. They just weren't too confident in their ability to face the aged wizard without giving themselves away. They were already faced with the one weakness in their plan and they hadn't even taken revenge on Malfoy yet.

They drew to a stop in front of the gargoyle standing guard at the entrance to the headmaster's office.

"What was that password?…" Akane mused out loud. Lint had told them, but with her stomach churning nervously she had forgotten.

"Lollipop." Ranma announced to her and the stone guardian with confidence. He was unconsciously licking his lips at the thought of the sugary confection.

Akane harrumphed. "Leave it to you to remember a candy." She said as the statue moved, clearing the way. Akane had never once seen Ranma eating a lollipop, but since coming to England she had many times seen Ranma-Chan with a tight rolled paper stick protruding from her delighted smile.

Entering Dumbledore's outer office they made their careful way between the many strange objects cluttering the room, only to be brought up short by the presence of a large, freestanding mirror. It was brightly lit by flanking candelabras standing one to each side. The young couple couldn't help stopping to check their appearance in its glass, before entering the headmaster's inner office to face the music. Seeing his tomboy looking unusually pale as she gazed into the mirror's reflection, Ranma responded to both Akane's nerves and his own by taking her hand and giving it a comforting squeeze. Turning to give the boy a small smile of gratitude, Akane nearly jumped in surprise to discover Professor Dumbledore standing right behind him, barely out of attack range.

Jolted by the tug on their still joined hands, Ranma turned half way round to see what had surprised her. Finding Dumbledore, he stared in silent confusion as his brain screamed that there was something wrong with this picture.

It was Akane who first realized what was missing. "Ranma…" She whispered. "Look at the mirror."

Ranma turned to the mirror, then back to the professor, before turning once more to the mirror. Only then did his slowly booting brain make the connection.

"Hey!" He exclaimed in stunned surprise. "You ain't got no reflection! What are you, some kind of vampire?"

The old man smiled in amusement. "No Mr. Saotome, I am not a vampire, but that is not an ordinary mirror either. Tell me Ranma, Akane, what do you see in the mirror?"

Turning back to the looking glass, the young couple searched for Dumbledore's absent reflection, or anything else he might be asking about.

"Uh, nothing, just Akane and me, that's all." Ranma answered, scratching the back of his head with his free hand in confusion. "No wait, there's mom and pops, along with Mr. Tendo and Akane's sisters. Hey, even Ukyo and Ryouga are in the mirror. What is this, some kind of spyglass?" Looking around, Ranma double checked to make sure their friends and family weren't really standing behind them.

"Ranma…" Akane's voice was tight with unchecked emotion. "Look, my mother is there."

"What, where?" Turning back to the mirror, Ranma was surprised to realize that standing next to Soun was a Japanese woman with short dark hair. "That's your mom?" He asked. He couldn't refrain from adding; "Bit of a tomboy, wasn't she?"

For which Akane gave him a none to gentle poke in the ribs with her elbow.

Ranma rubbed the offended spot with a disgruntled scowl on his face, but for once he wisely directed his words to Dumbledore instead. "What gives Professor? Is it like one of those painting thingies?"

"No Ranma, it is not like the paintings but it is, of course, a magic mirror ." While explaining Albus was careful to avoid looking in the mirror himself, knowing that he would find his sister there looking back. "This mirror reflects not what is in front of it, but the viewer's greatest desires."

In the past Akane would have found the sight of her deceased mother terribly distracting, but thanks to her near nightly dreams with the dragon she had grown somewhat inured. Which is why she was still able to think clearly enough to grasp what the Professor meant to tell them.

"So you're saying that our friends and family are what we desire most?"

"Yes." He responded with a warm smile. "I do believe that to be the case." Using his right arm, perhaps unintentionally exposing his blighted hand to view, he gestured them towards the lit entryway of his inner office. "Please, won't you join me in my office."

Akane led the way, followed by Ranma and the professor. Directing his guests to be seated, Dumbledore inquired if they would like some tea ( he is English ) which Akane accepted and Ranma declined. While the elderly gentleman poured and offered a cup to Akane, Ranma took the chance to once again inspect the Headmaster's office. He drew up short as his eyes tripped over something he barely noticed the first time he visited this room and desperate for a distraction, he decided to ask about it.

"Yo Professor, what's with the worn out hat?" He asked, directing their attention to a pointy wizard's hat that sat slouched over on a stool between portraits. It was worn and frayed and looked like it was either heavily patched or originally made from mismatched fragments of cloth. Strangely, if Ranma and Akane's eyes and ears weren't fooling them, at the boy's question the hat twitched with a disgruntled "humph".

"Ahh, yes. That Mr. Saotome is the sorting hat." Dumbledore answered with a bemused smile, he knew the younger man was just delaying what was clearly going to be an unpleasant conversation.

"Sorting? You mean like laundry?"

"No baka." Akane said, her face lighting up with the 'a-ha' affect of sudden understanding. "When they say 'sorting' here, they mean into houses. Isn't that right Professor?"

"Yes Akane, quite right." Dumbledore replied, deciding that a little distraction might help them relax and ease the coming conversation. "Ranma arrived too late to witness it, but on the first night of the school year the new students are gathered in the Great Hall and the Sorting Hat is placed on their heads. Once it announces which of the four houses they are most compatible with that student is invited to join his or her housemates at their table. That house becomes their home, the other members their family while they are here at Hogwarts."

Akane wanted to ask which house she would have been sorted into, hoping it would be Hufflepuff, her mother's house, but was cut off by Ranma sticking his foot in his mouth.

"The hat tells which house they belong in? How, does it change color or something? Like green for Slytherin or red for Gryffindor."

This time there was no mistaking the 'humph', or the disgusted tone that followed as the hat itself responded in a clear and concise voice. "I do not change color, or any other such childish thing." It said.

With a jerk, Ranma and Akane both turned to stare in amazed wonder at the hat, the folds of which somehow successfully formed sharply slanted eyes and a tear a broad mouth just above the brim.

Even after all of the magical wonders they witnessed every day within the walls of Hogwarts, a worn and frumpy hat talking still took them by surprise.

"What…it talks…" Ranma struggled to say.

"Apparently a great deal better than you." The hat said, condescendingly (hey, if luggage can look angry then surely a hat can sound condescending; Terry Pratchett, The Color of Magic. You might have seen the movie, you should try reading the book. Death is a hoot). "I have a voice and I use it." It finished.

"And a lovely singing voice I might add." Dumbledore added.

It was enough to distract Ranma long enough for Akane to ask the question that had been burning in her heart ever since learning of her mother's school days.

"Mr. Hat, sir…" She started timidly. "I was wondering…which house would you put me in?"

The whole room grew still, as if waiting for the hat's response. As for the Sorting hat, it scrunched up, eyes squinting as if intently studying her, leaving Akane with the strange impression that she was being laid bare before it. Not a comfortable feeling.

"Mmm…yes, you have much of your mother in you. You would do well in Hufflepuff, yes, but the fire in you burns hotter than it did in Kimiko and you would also do well in Gryffindor."

Akane felt warmth spread through her at the hat's favorable comparison.

Unfortunately, now that the topic had been brought up Ranma decided that he too would like to know.

"What about me? I'm hard working and I dare you to question my bravery, so what house would I fit in?"

"Slytherin." The hat answered in a flat tone. At the boy's scowl, it attempted to explain its reasoning. "Don't misunderstand you are certainly brave enough, loyal, hard working and even intelligent when you decide to apply yourself, but your courage is overshadowed by foolish pride, your loyalties are more often than not confused and your intellect starves for lack of interest. Moreover, in all my days at this school I have rarely seen a witch or wizard more driven to prove their worth and you are the first I have seen who is both. Which just pushes you harder to make up for some imagined deficiency. Even your sense of honor is driven by a need to prove yourself, but to whom…I wonder."

"Hey! I don't need to prove nothing to nobody! Least of all a stupid…_hat_!"

"Mr. Saotome." Dumbledore tried to get the boy to calm down and stay in his seat. "Ranma, please." Once he had the boy's attention, he tried to explain about the Sorting Hat. "The Sorting Hat does not intend to insult you, is in point of fact incapable of feeling the desire to do so. Over a thousand years ago the founders of Hogwarts, Godric Gryffindor, Helga Hufflepuff, Rowena Ravenclaw and Salazar Slytherin, created it to place each student into whichever house they would best fit and not one of those houses is either greater or less than the others. Each house has traits which it holds above all others. In the case of Slytherin it is a determination to succeed, whatever it takes."

Akane leaned closer to her husband and in a voice that was too loud to really be a whisper, reminded him of his oft repeated motto; "Ranma Saotome doesn't lose."

"A very _Slytherin_ attitude, I must say." Dumbledore said with a bemused smile.

Ranma slouched down in his seat, arms folded across his chest and face set in a disapproving scowl. "Yeah, well the current batch of snakes don't impress."

"Ranma please, I understand that you and Professor Snape have had some difficulties, but this hostile attitude is most counterproductive. Especially if you are transferring it to your Slytherin students."

"Humph, fat chance of that."

"What Ranma is _trying_ to say Professor, is that we don't really have _any_ Slytherin students. The only ones that come are the young ones who are required to, the older students only came the one time when Draco Malfoy set out to destroy our class."

"Yeah, and fat lot of good Snape was then." Ranma said disgustedly. "He just ignored them and only stuck his nose in it when I took back control."

Akane tried to explain further. "The younger students are okay once things get going, but at first they're always difficult and it's clearly because of what they're being told by the older students in their house." She sighed. "Yes, the problem may have started with Professor Snape, but his students followed right along. Some have been worse than others…" She grimaced at the sudden memory of her first encounter with Tweedle Dee and Tweedle Dumb, Crab and Goyle. "…and the Professor doesn't help the situation."

Dumbledore fidgeted a little in his chair. This was and wasn't the direction he had wanted the conversation to go. Still, best to use what he had. "I see. I admit that sadly, Professor Snape was not happy at your inclusion into this year's curriculum. In no small part because this is his first year teaching the defense against the dark arts class, until now we have been privileged to have him as our potions teacher. I am afraid he might have felt that the minister's invitation to you was a personal insult. Severus is very proud and that misconception has tainted his interactions with you."

"Well, maybe it's time someone took him down a peg or two." Ranma challenged.

"I believe you have already made an effort to do just that." The headmaster said, giving Ranma a penetrating stare.

"What! No, I mean…it could have been anybody…I…" Looking like a deer in headlights, Ranma struggled to put on his innocent face. For some reason it worked better when he was a girl.

Seeing Ranma flounder, Akane felt the fight just flow right out of her. Feeling disillusioned and resigned she cut her husband off, responding to the headmaster in his place. "What does it matter Professor?" She asked in a despondent voice. "You have allowed Professor Snape to reduce our presence here to a joke, while simultaneously allowing the students from Slytherin to get away with everything short of murder. Since coming here we have been marginalized and insulted. We were invited here as teachers but have instead been treated like unworthy, and unwanted, students based soley on our not having attended Hogwarts from the beginning."

"Yeah…" Ranma was quick to jump in when Akane paused. "…and I hate to be the one to break it to you, but your Hogwarts isn't all that great. Why, most of your students have no idea what to do in a fight, many would just run away."

Dumbledore tried to be patient. "Mr. Saotome, it is not our intention to teach our students to be fighters."

Ranma wasn't. "Oh yeah, then why are we here? Your minister didn't ask us to come and teach Tea Ceremony or poetry, he asked us to teach defense and the best defense is to be stronger than those who threaten you. Or do you think this Moldy wart character we keep hearing about will just leave you alone because you say 'please'?"

Dumbledore gave a heavy sigh. No, this was not the way he wanted this conversation to go at all. Perhaps it would be best to end it quickly, before things had a chance to get worse.

"Be that as it may, I don't believe Minister Scrimgeor's intent was for you to do so by fighting with the other professors or students." Recognizing that Ranma was about to retaliate, the headmaster held up his hands in a gesture meant to placate the boy. "I do recognize that this was a conflict you did not start and am quite prepared to take steps to ease the situation. I will excuse Professor Snape from attending to your classes and strongly request that he avoid further antagonizing you. As for the students, if you feel the need to punish them then please do so according to school policy, by docking them house points."

Judging by the looks of confusion on the young couple's faces, Dumbledore could tell they had little to no idea of what he was talking about. Fortunately Akane found her voice first.

"Headmaster, sir, are you saying that we…" Here the dark haired girl gestured to both her husband and herself. "Are you saying that we can dock students points?"

"Dock points, and award them." He answered, his own confusion apparent. "Surely Professor McGonagall explained the house point system to you when first arrived?"

Ranma snorted. "All she cared about was seeing if my curse was contagious. 'A threat to the students'.".

Akane finished answering the headmaster's question. "Ranma is right Professor. When we arrived the only real concern was where we fit in academically. The only instruction we received on teaching were your announcements in the Great Hall, and when Hagrid showed us the room for our dojo. We have witnessed professors giving and taking points, but no one has ever explained them to us."

That wasn't entirely true. Snape had explained a little when he lamented the uselessness of taking points from Ranma because the Saotome boy didn't belong to a house that could lose them.

Dumbledore was at a loss. Well it was true that his efforts to find and eliminate Voldimort's horecruxes was of phenomenal importance, the idea that such an oversight had passed unnoticed was mind boggling. For a fleeting moment he wondered what else he might have missed.

"I see. I can only offer my belated apologies for this oversight and the difficulties it may have caused you, and promise to ask Professor McGonagall to explain you positions here more fully. In return I must ask you to promise that you will not seek to redress past problems with Professor Snape, or his house, using methods that are not in line with school policy. Ranma, Akane, do I have your word on this?" He asked, staring intently into their eyes, making it clear that he meant there to be no wiggle room where this promise was concerned.

"Yes headmaster." The pair promised reluctantly.

Confident that a future crisis had been averted, Dumbledore devoted a few minutes to more pleasant topics, such as the progress of the students in their classes, before biding the Saotomes a good day with a smile and a lemon drop.

Neither Ranma nor Akane were happy to put their plan for revenge in a drawer, but they were not nearly as disconsolate as the students of House Slytherin as they watched their numbers drop in the House Cup. It didn't take long for the older students to learn to, as Snape put it, 'Avoid the barbarians'. They didn't take any points from the younger students though, instead whenever one of the first or second years acted up they would deal with it as they always had, while deducting points from the Slytherin House Prefect, Malfoy, for his failures in leadership. Draco nearly had an epileptic fit when Snape's only response to his complaints was an admonition to learn when to 'shut up'. Being told to wait until the time was right didn't sit well with the boy, he wasn't used to having to wait. Before his father's fall from favor the Malfoy name had always been enough to net immediate gratification.

Not anymore.

Author's notes:

One and a half years since I last posted (not worked on, but posted) anything for this story. I knew it had been awhile but I was thinking months, not years. The first part of this chapter was actually written months ago, but until tuatara pointed out how long the delay had been I wasn't really pushing to get it out. I have always figured that if I give up on writing these stories I would post their outlines as I hate being left hanging. I haven't given up yet, but I'm still tempted to post them just in case.

If it makes anyone feel better, the next chapter of Hogwarts, Kal'Ex and Fallen are all partially written (Fallen more than the others) and I hope to do several updates in the near future.

The next chapter will finally include the idea JWG gave me back when I first started posting this story. It will be about appiration lessons and the 'spaces in between'.

I know some are feeling disappointed that Ranma didn't take revenge on Draco (I am), but I couldn't see Dumbledore not taking action after the attack on Snape. I'm working on an alternate way of bringing it about, one involving a perverted grandmaster. Cross your fingers. 2ptTakrill


	21. Chapter 21 Happi Days are here again!

Chapter 21: Happi Days are here again!

"Akane! Ranma! Wait up!" Cho quickly, but carefully, made her way across the snow and ice covered courtyard towards the Japanese couple. It was morning, before breakfast, and the Saotomes were outside jogging in spite of the winter season.

"Hey Cho." Ranma called out in greeting.

When she reached them and tried to stop, Cho's slick soled shoes slid on the ice. She would have suffered a painful spill if Ranma and Akane hadn't each caught an arm as she went flying by.

"Oh, thanks guys." She said, as she straightened herself out. "Have you heard the news yet?" She was practically shaking with pent up excitement.

It wasn't something they were used to seeing from the normally reserved Chinese girl. Most of the time she seemed to be laboring under a great burden, the innocence of childhood seemingly crushed beneath its weight. Not right now though, she was as excited as Newt had been when talk turned to Santa Claus during the week before Christmas.

"Uh, what news?" Ranma asked, exchanging puzzled looks with Akane.

"What news? Why the sign outside the Great Hall of course."

"What sign?" A look of fear suddenly took over Ranma's face. "They didn't move up breakfast did they? Have we missed it?"

"Missed breakfast, what…no, of course not. I'm talking about the announcement."

Akane explained their ignorance. "What announcement Cho? I'm afraid we haven't been by the Great Hall yet this morning."

"Oh, I thought you would have heard. I mean, everyone's talking about it."

"Talking about what?" Akane asked, dismayed by her friend's uncharacteristically spacey behavior.

"Apparition lessons of course. There's a sign outside the hall announcing that students who will turn seventeen this year can sign up for lessons."

"Wait," Now Ranma seemed to be catching her infectious excitement. "Apper-what ever, that's that appearing disappearing thing, right?"

"Apparition is the ability to magically travel without crossing the distance in between, seeming to appear and disappear, yes."

"Then what are we waiting for?" Akane was catching the excitement to. "Where do we sign up?"

Fifteen minutes later it was a more despondent trio that walked away from the Great Hall.

"I'm sorry guys, I didn't even think about you not having taken your O.W.L.S. yet." Cho really did feel bad for them.

Seeing the heavy expression of guilt on her friend's face, Akane tried to reassure the Chinese girl that it wasn't her fault. "It's okay Cho. I'm sure there are masters back home who know the secret. We'll just have to learn from one of them."

"Yeah, good luck with that." Ranma muttered. He was extremely disappointed not to be learning the new technique and it was making him even more obtuse than ever regarding Cho's feelings. "I'm sure the old pervert knows it, but he's not about to teach us."

Cho's face tightened up more and Akane gave her unthinking husband a dirty look in response. Without really thinking about it, she decided he needed a little payback for the pain he was carelessly causing the other girl. "Oh, I don't know Ranma, I bet you could convince him. Maybe if _Ranko_ agreed to take the lesson wearing only one of his favorite bras. After all, it can't be any worse than some of the things you did to get Cologne to teach you and she had to worry about Jozeketsu law."

To be honest for just a moment, only a second mind you, Ranma actually considered it, before throwing the idea away as rubbish. "Cologne could get away with flaunting their laws because she was on the council of elders, and even then she only taught me because she wanted something. The old pervert figures he can just steal what he wants and what he can't steal I ain't gonna give him, not for no technique, not for nothing."

Akane actually felt bad for making things worse, but Cho grew excited as Ranma's words planted the seed of an idea in her mind.

"Wait, we have our own council of elders and one of them is right here in Hogwarts!"

"You have amazons?" Ranma wasn't surprised, for such an isolated village they seemed to crop up everywhere.

"No baka. They have their own council of wizard and witch elders."

Cho sometimes still found it hard to follow the couple's relationship, the back and forth from loving to adversarial, but it certainly was entertaining. "That's right, their called the Wizengamot, they serve as the Ministry's highest court and Headmaster Dumbledore is on it. If anyone can find a way for you to take Apparition lessons it would be him."

Akane and Ranma exchanged uneasy glances. Akane tried to explain their concern. "We're not exactly on Professor Dumbledore's list of favorite people right now." She told Cho.

Cho raised an eyebrow at that. "You're not referring to what happened to Professor Snape, are you?" Even now the memory of Snape dressed as a loli-goth brought an amused smile to her face.

Ranma started rapidly shaking his head no. "No no, that wasn't…I mean, that could have been anybody!"

Cho gave the flustered boy a mischievous grin. "Sure, it could have been anybody, but everybody knows it was you. Still, you shouldn't worry about that, I don't believe the Headmaster will hold that against you enough to impair your education. He considers Hogwart's mission as a school to be too important to allow personal feelings to interfere."

"That never stopped Pineapple Head."

"Ranma, Dumbledore isn't Kuno."

"Really? I'll admit he's certainly saner, but he still seems to be gone a lot."

Cho felt the need to defend her headmaster. "It's just been this year that he's been gone a lot. In all of the other years I've been here Dumbledore has always been here, rarely leaving unless called by the Ministry."

Akane made an intuitive leap. "Is the Ministry calling him away now because of this Voldimort character?" It was only then she remembered that Voldimort killed Cho's boyfriend, and that bringing him up would probably cause the girl pain.

Fortunately the girl didn't seem to mind. "Well I don't doubt his absences have something to do with Voldimort's return, after all Dumbledore was one of his most adamant opponents in the past, still I doubt he is answering the Ministry's summons now." A shadow of regret fell over Cho's face. "Some things happened last year…when Cedric died…" She paused to gather her strength. "Dumbledore announced to everyone at school that it was Voldimort who killed him. The Minister of Magic, Fudge, was really angry at him for doing so. He didn't want anyone to know that 'you know who' had returned, so Fudge did his best to destroy Dumbledore, even had him removed as Headmaster for awhile." Akane, and even the normally oblivious Ranma, could tell that the whole period was not a pleasant one for Cho to remember. "It was a really hard time here at Hogwarts, for everyone, and there are still a lot of hard feelings against the Ministry about it."

Ranma was confused. "Fudge? I thought this Grimjaws dude was Minister?"

"That's Scrimgeour, and he is. After Voldimort attacked Harry at the offices of the Ministry in London it was impossible to hide from everyone that he was back and Fudge was sacked. Rufus Scrimgeour was head of the Aurors and he was elected to take Fudge's place, but I don't think he and Dumbledore get along. Hermoine told me that Scrimgeour visited Harry Potter at the Weasley's over Christmas and that whatever he said made Harry really mad. So whatever Dumbledore is doing, I doubt he's doing it for the Ministry."

Akane looked at Ranma and he just shrugged. "I guess it can't hurt to ask." He said.

Stopping, Akane called out for Lint and with a crack, the small elf appeared before them.

"You called Lint, Mistress Akane?" The small elf smiled in expectation, hopeful for the chance to help.

"Yes Lint, would you please see if Headmaster Dumbledore is in and if so, if we can speak to him?"

Lint was literally bouncing on her heels at the prospect. "Lint would be happy to." She told them, then disappeared with another crack.

Ranma, as always, had watched intently.

****(Page break)

The Headmaster was in and it was only a matter of minutes before Ranma and Akane were back in his office. They were even more nervous than last time, then they had only faced expulsion, this time they were asking for a favor.

They didn't need to be so concerned. Since their conversation with the Headmaster, the Saotomes had joined Snape and Draco in a mutual game of 'I no see you' and Dumbledore, while he could have wished for better, was content with that as long as no more actions were taken to disrupt Hogwart's tranquility.

"Good morning Akane, Ranma, what can I do for you?" He asked with a smile. It was too early for tea or candy.

"Professor," Akane began after being nudged by a silent Ranma. "we wanted to talk to you about the upcoming Apparition lessons."

"Ah, yes. Is it safe to assume you both wish to participate?"

"Yes sir." Akane answered while Ranma nodded excitedly. "But, we haven't taken our O.W.L.S.."

"Ah, I see. Yes, normally successful completion of one's O.W.L.S is required, but the age requirement for actually taking the license exam is waved if the student will be seventeen before the next year. The Ministry's class does not confer an Apparition License, so I see no reason why we can't wave the O.W.L.S. requirement instead of the age one. You are both already seventeen so yes, you will be allowed to take the class. Mind you, this doesn't confer the legal right to perform Apparition in England, but I don't think that will matter once you return to your home in Japan."

"Thank You!" They both said with a bow.

****(Page break)

By February the snow had melted leaving bitter cold and near constant rain in its wake. This did little to dissuade the Saotomes from their morning jog, though it did ensure Ranma enjoyed a lot of 'Ranko' time. Still, with the cold and rain there were few students to witness her running about the grounds with Akane.

Another consequence of the weather was that when Saturday morning and Apparition lessons arrived, the class was moved indoors.

Standing in the entryway of the room Ranma and Akane had never seen the Great Hall so loud and boisterous, at least not counting the one time that both desperately tried to forget. Following an almost herd like instinct, one common in schools the world over, the students had all gravitated to the outer walls leaving the center of the room empty. The tables and chairs had been removed to make a clear area for their lessons and all of that empty space really drove home just how large the room was. The rain lashing against the windows and the illusion of swirling dark clouds above added an ominous edge to the morning.

"Mr. And Mrs. Saotome." A reedy voice intruded unexpectedly from the hallway behind them.

Turning about they found the almost ghostly Mr. Twycross walking up behind them, a faint smile upon his lips.

"Mr. Twycross." Akane greeted as she and Ranma both gave a shallow bow. "Are you going to be our instructor?" She asked.

Wilkie Twycross returned the bow with the nod of his head. "Yes" He answered. "I am here representing the Department of Magical Transportation as instructor in Apparition." A small grimace washed across his face. "In other words, 'I drew the short straw' as the muggles would say."

"Come on." Ranma's voice was filled with mild disbelief. "I saw you with Ryouga, you can't tell me you weren't enjoying yourself."

The older man gave a bemused smile and nod in concession. "I do admit that I enjoy my job, even take a great deal of pleasure when one of my students proves successful in following instruction, but as I am sure you yourselves have discovered teaching can be quite trying. In all truth, I would much rather continue my work with Mr. Habiki. A truly fascinating case, one worthy of entrance in the annuals of history if I do say so myself."

"Mr. Twycross," Akane began. "does Ryouga appirate, like you are going to teach us?"

"Oh no, I am afraid not. What Mr. Habiki does is actually quite unique and I suspect a hereditary trait, not one that can be taught, but that still leaves the possibility of making new discoveries based upon its study. I am moved to hope that one day, all witches and wizards will be able to travel to the far reaches of the world with the same ease we now travel to our local market. I foresee _very_ exciting possibilities."

"What do ya know,…" Ranma nudged Akane with a smirk. "pig boy may change the world."

"Ranma, don't pick on him, and don't make fun of Akari, she's a wonderful girl."

'Akari?' Sometimes Akane not knowing about Ryouga's curse made talking to her confusing.

Not understanding the significance of either statement, though he had visited Akari's pig farm while traveling with Ryouga, Mr. Twycross reluctantly interrupted their budding argument. "Yes well, I'm afraid I had better straighten out this rabble. If you will excuse me, perhaps we can get together for tea after the lesson."

"We would love to." Akane answered enthusiastically while giving Ranma an unnecessary nudge with her elbow.

"Good, then I'll see you after class."

Mr. Twycross moved to join Professors McGonagall, Snape, Flitwick and Sprout at the front of the hall, while Ranma and Akane moved to join Cho among the students.

Once the house heads had wrangled some control over the students, Mr. Twycross introduced himself to the group. "Good morning, I am Wilkie Twycross and I shall be your Ministry Apparition instructor for the next twelve weeks. I hope to be able to prepare you for your Apparition Tests in this time…" The slight wizard was interrupted by Professor McGonagall reprimanding that annoying twit, Malfoy, but didn't allow it to disrupt him one bit. He was clearly used to such behavior. "…by which time, many of you may be ready to take your tests." He finished. With a brief gesture to their surroundings, he went on to explain; "As you may know, it is usually impossible to Apparate or Disapparate within Hogwarts. The headmaster has lifted this enchantment, purely within the Great Hall, for one hour, so as to enable you to practice." He went on to warn them that the wards outside the hall were still active, then called loose bedlam as he instructed the students to spread themselves out in orderly rows, five feet apart.

Ranma and Akane quickly fell in line, this being similar to what they were often called upon to do in the Japanese school system for group calisthenics. Their English counterparts on the other hand, were not used to it and made quite a row as they jostled and jockeyed for position until McGonagall and the other professors were required to take matters in hand. Once silence and order had been restored, with a wave of his wand Mr. Twycross caused rows of wooden hoops to appear before the lined up students. He then went on to explain the three D's of Apparating, a lecture the Saotomes had heard once before in Cassiobury Park when they introduced him to Ryouga. Still, they both wanted to learn this new technique so they paid avid attention to the little man. In spite of that they were no more successful than the other students and the first one to actually appirate was Susan Bones, with disastrous results as they learned first hand about spilching.

****(Page break)

With the exception of Saturday morning Apparition class life returned to normal for Ranma and Akane, at least until Valentines Day.

Well, there was one _little_ incident.

"Ah, Hogwarts!" Happossai said to himself, drawing a heady breath of the hormone laden air and stares from several uniform wearing students. "Such sweet memories…" he muttered to himself. Though he had never attended as a student, he had visited the castle several times in his youth. Back then the security hadn't been nearly so tight, but he was both older and infinitely wiser now, sneaking into the hallowed grounds of the school had proven to be child's play for the diminutive grandmaster of Anything Goes. What Happi wanted he got and what he wanted right now was to check up on his heirs. Though he certainly wouldn't pass up any sweet panties that crossed his way.

He first tried their improvised dojo, being on the ground floor and near an exit it was easy to find. It was early in the school day so he found the hall empty, his heirs were currently attending classes of their own. Even so, Happi spent nearly an hour just sitting outside the door admiring Soun's handwritten sign. A single tear of pride rolled down the old man's wrinkled cheek at the sight of his art's name proudly proclaimed within the halls of Hogwarts. It felt as if he had finally achieved one of his oldest and fondest dreams.

Filius Flitwick was having a good day. There was nothing special about it, it was just a good day and he was humming happily to himself as he made his way through the halls of Hogwarts. He was passing the Saotomes' dojo, a wonderful addition to the staff if you asked him, and what he first mistook for a large house elf standing in the hall. It wasn't until he drew closer that he realized the tattered and stained one piece outfit the other was wearing wasn't a cast off rag, but a true, if worn, article of clothing. He could now also tell that the figure didn't wear the emaciated flesh of an elf, but the thin, wrinkly skin of an old man, all be it an extremely short one. Shorter even than himself. It never occurred to him that the old man's presence was a reason for worry, after all if he wasn't supposed to be there the aurors never would have let him passed the front gate.

"Excuse me." He politely intruded on the old man's solitude. "Can I be of some help to you sir?"

For once it was Happi who was surprised by a sudden arrival. He had been so engrossed in Soun's calligraphy that he hadn't sensed the professor's approach and he nearly jumped out of his skin in fright at someone getting so close. When he got a look at who was interrupting his meditations, his eyes opened wide and he couldn't help but stare.

Filius was used to getting _that look_. With his height he often drew stares, if not always the obvious disdain of the pure bloods. He was used to it, but that didn't mean he liked or accepted it.

"Is there something wrong, sir?" He asked, ice in his voice. Something Happi totally missed.

"Wrong?" Happi asked, confused, before the lights went on. "Oh no, of course not. I just didn't expect to find someone of your stature and noble lineage in a wizard's school. What clan are you from?"

"Clan…" Filius was struggling with what the little man meant by stature, and wasn't following the conversation very well.

"Yes, clan. What craft did your forbearers practice?"

"Craft? I am a wizard and the Transfiguration professor here at Hogwarts." Filius was confused but he answered proudly.

To his continuing confusion, the small stranger's response was to pat him consolingly on the arm. "Wouldn't let you learn it either, eh? Those arrogant little _pure bloods_…Well, who cares?! You are a teacher at Hogwarts, easily as prestigious as being a sword smith, or cup hammerer, or whatever have you. Be proud of what you've achieved I say."

"Excuse me sir, I don't mean to be rude, but who are you?" The professor asked, having decided that their previous conversation wasn't worth trying to puzzle out.

Happossai drew up to his full, not so impressive height, before proudly declaring: "I am Happossai, Grandmaster of the School of Anything Goes. Ranma and Akane are my students and heirs. I came here to check up on them. Do you, by chance, know where I can find them?"

****(Page break)

That fine fellow, Filius Flitwick, hadn't been able to tell Happi where Ranma and Akane were at the moment, he wasn't sure what class they would be in right now, but he was able to direct him to their rooms to wait. Happi didn't bother knocking as he knew no one was home. He also ignored the crotchety old lady in the painting across the hall. He originally just intended to wait in their front room, but couldn't resist checking to see if either of his girls had come into possession of any western style panties. They had, though sweet Ranma-chan's didn't look like they had even been unpacked after arriving at Hogwarts. There was a pretty little teddy in a box but it was cold and sterile, he could tell that it had never known the feel of a woman's delicate skin. He was about to give up in disgust when he found a bag shoved way to the back of the drawer. Drawing it forth in hopes of finding hidden treasures, he dumped its contents out on the bed. The first and heaviest object was a chocolate heart, equal parts dark and white, wrapped in waxed paper. He was about to help himself when his sharp nose picked up the sweet scent of a love potion left too long to mature. Giving it a more thorough examination he quickly recognized at whom it was aimed and couldn't hold in a lustful sigh. It was gratifying to know that at last his slow witted students were doing their part to ensure the future of his art. He promised himself that he would buy the boys a drink once he returned to Nerima. A smile on his face, he returned the heart to its wrappings and moved on to the other contents of the bag. He found a corked glass vial filled with a clear fluid, it looked like water with a tinge of some other oily liquid floating on top. Realizing that the two substances must have separated with time, Happi shook the vial, stirring its contents, before popping the cork for a sniff…nothing. Taking out his iron pipe, he poured a small measure into the bowl then heated it to a low boil with his ki. Studying the steam that rose from it, even going so far as to lick the air, a sly grin spread across his face. 'Now why…' he thought to himself, '…would Ranma and Akane bring something like this to Hogwarts, then just leave it sitting wasted in a drawer for months?' It was…well, it was a wrong that very much needed righting and he was just the master to do it.

****(Page break)

When the afternoon meal rolled around, Ranma and Akane joined the other professors at the head table. Sitting down, the young couple exchanged greetings with their older associates. They pointedly ignored Snape and he them, it was easier that way.

As the meal progressed and the food disappeared, attentions naturally turned to conversation.

All of which came to a screaming halt for the Saotomes with Filius' innocent words.

"It was my pleasure to meet your grandmaster Happossai today." He said lightly. "I trust you had a pleasant visit?"

Ranma nearly choked on his food, horror robbing him of his hard won Saotome eating technique. As he was struggling to cough up his errant food, it fell to Akane to ask the question neither wanted answered.

"Master Happossai was here, at Hogwarts?" She asked apprehensively.

"Why yes." Filius answered, confused by their reaction. "He said he was here to check up on you. Naturally I assumed you had seen him. I say, is something wrong?"

Ranma had finally succeeded in clearing his throat, and forgetting his manners he angrily set out to answer. "Is something wrong! You say the old freak is here and you have to ask if something's wrong?! I'll say…"

No one ever heard what the gender confused boy had to say for all were distracted when a powerful wind blew the great doors open. Reaching every corner of the room its swirling tendrils carried a light, gritty dust that had everyone blinking and coughing, helpless to prevent what was about to happi…I mean happen.

"Sweeto!" A high pitched voice cried out in unmitigated joy as Grandmaster Happossai bounced about the room, from table to table, without rhyme or reason, at last coming to a standing halt upon the table before Professor McGonagall; who was dismayed to see the little man holding a heavily laden bag over his shoulder with one hand, while the other was rubbing a particularly silky pair of French cut panties lovingly against his cheek.

"Oh madam!" He said to the scandalized teacher. "I commend you on your fine taste in panties! You could learn something from her Ranma my boy!" Turning towards the headmaster, he gave a brief "Albus.", before disappearing without a trace.

"_Is something wrong?_" Ranma muttered sarcastically, absentmindedly scratching his cheek, and then his other cheek, followed by the top of his head, then his neck and he wasn't the only one, all throughout the room both students and professors were beginning to itch and consequently scratch, until forgetting both food and dignity, everyone vacated the Great Hall in favor of the nearest bath. It wasn't their fault, the fine dust that had blown through the room was one of Happossai's proudest achievements, a little something he had invented to correct those times when the ladies side of the public baths were tragically empty.

****(Page break)

By the time Ranma and Akane reached their rooms they were traveling at speeds few at Hogwarts could match. So great was their hurry that they didn't even think to close doors behind them, instead leaving a trail of discarded clothes from the front door of the sitting room, up to and including the door to the bath. Down to his boxers Ranma didn't hesitate to leap into the heated bath. Akane paused briefly, but the extreme discomfort of the itching powder quickly convinced her that it was perfectly okay for Ranma to see her in so little, after all they _were_ married and it wasn't like he hadn't seen her naked before. Mind made up, she quickly slipped into the water wearing only her bra and panties (Happi had been so distracted by the beauties Minerva gave him, he hadn't made it to Akane).

After a harried rub down under the water, a much relieved Akane popped back up. With blessed release from the incessant itching came the embarrassment of being in the bath with Ranma, both in nothing more than their skivvies.

"Ranma…" She began.

Her bath companion turned towards her nervously. "Akane…It's not my fault! I mean, it was the pervert…" Ranma's voice trailed off, momentarily distracted from eyeing Akane's nearly naked body (and see through, wet, under things) when instead of the expected lines of anger, he instead found her brow furrowed with confusion.

"Ranma" Akane said again. "Why are you a girl?"

"Huh, I ain't no stupid girl tomboy. We're sitting in…hot…water…?" Now Ranma was confused for in spite of the fact his skin was telling him the water was hot, his eyes found two large some things floating in the water before him that verified that yes, she was a girl.

High pitched, feminine screams echoed down those esteemed halls of education, screams that did not come from the rooms belonging to the young martial artists.

Author's notes:

There, another chapter. Sorry it's so short but now that Happi's take on Saotome revenge is done, disappointing as it may be, now hopefully I can actually write something.

I know I promised to deal with JWG's suggestion for Ranma and Appirating, but I'm afraid that was pushed back to the next chapter. I had forgotten just how long Appirating lessons went on and I didn't want it to feel rushed. Ranma learns fast, but inspiration doesn't always strike immediately.


End file.
